Tieing Down A/C

[Ramchaser]

I was wondering what are some techniques for leaving your a/c on remote strips. I always worry when I leave my cub tied down in the middle of nowhere; I’m always concerned some critter is going to destroy something. Usually I dig small holes in the ground to settle the tires in, and then tie it down. Sometimes pile large rocks around my tires if I feel there’s porcupines lurching around. But my biggest fear is a bear destroying my cub because of some food or blood residue is left in side my plane, I am usually very diligent about keeping it clean from smells. I was thinking of using one of those lite weight electric fences, I use for horse packing. These run on two D-cell batteries and are very lite and compact, or it may just give me a false sense of security? Any ideas?
Cheers, Ramchaser :roll:

[Gary Reeves]

When I tie down during bear activity, I put a critter gitter at the outboard side of each wing under the wing cover. A criter gitter is a little 9 volt battery heat and motion detector that has a flashing light and really irritating noise. Most of the folks in our area have gone to them for cabin protection when they are away. Our experience is that they work even on cabins that have been dmaged in the past. Right now the cabin is protected by critter gitters and a solar powered electric rope. I'll know how well that trick works when I get back, but knowledgable folks say it is great, but only near a surface where the bear can't whalk stumble into it and then panic and keep on going.

In the mornings you can see the tracks where bear and other critters circle to avoid the critter gitters after hearing them go off.

Bear also avoid areas protected by foaming ammonia or PineSol. Just poor some on a paper towell and put it in an open peanut butter jar under your belly. It wil do wonders.

Perhaps I see where 3 o 4 bear go by an night and never ever have one come near the aircraft when I have the critter gitters on. I have protected food with PineSol - might be good for a caribou soaked cub.

Gary

[StewartB]

An old CD hanging on some fishing line scares about any creature. They spin and reflect unnatural colors. The easiest repellent is urine....yours. Stake your territory the way they do. Piss on it. (I'm not joking.)
SB

[Steve N]

Say Portagecreek , were do I get the critter getters?
steve n

[Gary Reeves]

Steve N

The critter gitters are available for about 80 bucks at:

www.amtekpet.com/crittergitter.htm

They include a good description and picture at this site also.

Gary

[PA12driver]

Darn I love this site!

I learn something every day!! I used to think a "Critter Getter" was when you took a guy with you that always whined "it's to far to pack" so you left him with the plane and 2 rounds of ammo!

I like the New Critter getter" better, and also the hanging CD's, I got lots of them Coasters around (all my messed up CDR's) Thanks,

Tim

[Gary Reeves]

So far I think the idea is to pee on a CD to get your critter.

Gary

[Steve N]

Thanks Portagecreek, they should ease my worry when fishing across the inlet.
steve n

I got a small protable electric fencer that runs off of flash light batteries. Use fiberglass arrows for fence poste. Works great and is about the size of a litter bottle.

The biggest bear is a baby when it comes to getting shocked.

I've been "beared" many times and none of the other things mentioned here has helped.

the whole thing cost anout $100.

[Ken Grindlay]

Mothballs work good too. As an aside, can any of the aeronautical engineering types here explain how a moth can get off the ground with those things?
Ken

[Dave Calkins]

I think it has to do with the rough surface energizing the boundary layer of air created by the beating of the wings...And you ever smell them moth balls?

Guest, tell us more about the elec. fence. Are you saying that Portage Creek's methods don't work, but the fence does? That's the way I'm reading your post.

Thanks.

Dave.

[Gary Reeves]

You can get a portable fencing kit that runs on 4 "D" sized batteries for 30 days. They give you way too much electric rope -262'. the whold this will cost you $135.95.

Available at www.jefferspet.com

Item number is D4-CK-36

Remember that I'm trying an electric fence too. I figure it will work fine where it only 6 inches from my cabin walls since a bear could not push thru without touching it. I know another fellow that was besared for years until he started the critter gitters. This year he put up a free standing electric rope around his whole property. It that proves to work for him then it should work on your airplane. I have bear in my yard, bear on my beach, bear in my compost, but no bear in my airplane or my cabin.

I used to try the marking method. Actually still do. I marked one trail they like and observed that new bear will stop and look about, those that know me have gotten used to it. The thing that did spook them was an old sweaty T-shirt. That worked real well until a fox dragged it away and ate it.

Incidently, so far no one using the gitters had been got since they started using them, but we fear that bear will start breaking into aircraft and stealing the ear defenders.

Just don't try to mark your fence!

Gary Reeves

Here are some that I found. I think mine is the Kencove but forget the model. Looks like some are even smaller than mine now.

The noise makers will work and I have one but don't have much confidence in them because after repeated exposures to any sound, bears just get use to it. Also, there are usually false triggers on them due to other critters, wind, etc.

Anything that smells will attract bears even if they don't eat it. They once ate a can of my roofing tar.


http://www.grazierfence.com/howitworks.asp

http://www.sureguard.com.au/efselfcontained.html

http://www.kencove.com/charge.htm

[JP]

You guys just solved my problem.

I am acquiring a CritterGitter. That will keep the damn kids from sneaking downstairs at night and watching DVDs!

Then I can use it as an excuse to fly to Alaska....

:P

[fobjob]

At dinner tonight a friend asked:"Has anyone hooked a fencer up to the airframe, rather than to a fence around the plane"??
Of course, you would have to ground it to a metal stake in the ground...any thoughts? A lot of unpleasant things MIGHT happen...... :o

[mvivion]

Electric fences have been used for a number of years to protect camps, airplanes, cabins, and other stuff. They work. Just put the wire about the height of a bear's nose when he's walking. Most folks put them too high.

I have personally watched a bear encounter an energized fence, and it's a pretty awesome sight.

Follow the instructions that come with the fences.

Put the fence well AWAY from the airplane (like at least ten feet or more), and you want the TAPE, as opposed to bare wires. The idea of the tape is that it flutters in the wind, gets the bear's attention, whereupon he puts his NOSE on the fence to check it out. That is precisely what you want--damp, unprotected skin against the wire.

I don't know anything about critter gitters, but bears get used to things VERY quickly. It's called habituation. So, you'll probably scare off the strangers with them, but sooner or later, they'll start ignoring them, I'd bet.

As to hanging CD's, that may also work, if there's enough sun to make some flashing. What about night, when most of these deals occur?

Personally, I think the best possible solution is to be absolutely immaculate in how you carry smelly stuff in your airplane, first of all. If you are slopping blood all over the floor of the plane, you are creating not only a "bait pile" BUT perhaps more importantly, that part of the plane is going to develop corrosion--blood is very corrosive. Take lots of visqueen, cover everything inside the plane, etc, etc.

We tried the mothball thing a number of times, and the bears completely ignored them.

MTV

[two-12sfernow]

It's not as good as electric, but I have had good luck with mothballs to control residual odor in/around the airplane. Used them in a screen porch at a cabin to keep the critters from sniffing and touching the screen.
I would not count on it as the ultimate but makes a good and cheap first effort. You have to get the real deal though (naptha).
They won't repel critters but it makes a smell that they are not interested in.
Just remember to seal them up in a plastic bag when you fly. They really can make your eyes water if you loose them in the cabin.

[60below]

I can tell you from personal experience that moth balls don't work for grizzly bears, period.