DG: Sorry to hear about your FIL. I wondered where you had been and hoped all was well with you and yours. I'm in total agreement about the firearm. BAD idea. I don't have experience with bears, but I think the problem with those aerosol things is you have to be downwind or they will blow at you. I always figured that, in a panic, I would freeze up trying to figure out if I were up or down wind and the whole thing would be useless.

As for bears, does she really have a lot of them around? Maybe a dog is a better idea just for peace of mind (not that it would do much good) that the dog might engage the bear first? Sorry, we just don't have bears here.

Dirtgirl, please accept my condolenceses on the loss of your father-in-law. It's always tough.

Where does your MIL live and how old is she? Are there sufficient numbers of bears around for her to need to be that concerned? I agree that absolutely no way should she have any kind of a firearm - who cares what animal she might take a shot at, if she's afraid of everything, she'll end up shooting a human being.

Buy her a bear-proof garbage can instead. And teach her to not leave recycling and/or birdfood outside if she's into that sort of stuff. If she does not give the bears reason to come on to her property, they won't. (Unless they are like "my" bear who trudges through on his way to and from the brook taking out my fence as he goes. Bear - go around the fence not through it!)

BUT NO GUN!!!!!!

I am not from Alaska, but I listened to a lecture on living in the Yukon, last year, at Canoecopia, our local late-winter canoe event. It happens every year in Madison, and there are several forums, usually presented by boatbuilders or outdoor writers. Sorry, I can't remember the guys name. He has encountered grizzly bears many times where he lives, and he said that the aerosol type bear repellent is generally effective. The range is about 30 feet. Bears really don't like being "maced" with this stuff, and after the first encounter, they stay back when they see the can in your hand.

I'm sad to hear about your father in law.

I echo the sentiments about the condolences and the bear spray. She may end up shooting herself with a gun if she's not already used to them and is jumpy.

NJTea - would it be possible to install one of those 'step' sets over the fence for the bear? (like farms have for people to cross without a gate). It would probably be cheaper than repeated repairs?

Thanks, Kristy, for the idea, but the dog would use the steps to get out and Bruno goes through the fence any place he darn well feels like it. If he had a trail like the deer do, then I could just move the fencing to accommodate his trail, but he goes in and out at a variety of places.

Whoa, did I ever fail in the "clarity of post" category.

I'm interested in bear spray not because we have them (we don't, unless you count the plywood cutouts in some local front yards) but because I think my MIL would like the heft and size of one the large canisters and find it easier to use than one of the purse-sized cans of pepper spray. And, as I mentioned, after the first few squirts to get used to the range and so on, the smaller cans are already close to being out of stuff. In fact, I bought one once from a military surlpus outlet and the propellant was gone after but one shot, leaving me with a can full of liquid fire but no way to launch it.
My plan is to get her a small can for her belt or purse and a big bear-sized canister to keep somewhere in the house. I believe her knowing she has a ready and simple, non-lethal weapon at home will ease her tensions about being alone.
Like I said in my previous post, it is sad but my MIL has SO many confidence issues. She's always been scared to death of strangers, animals, the unknown--you name it. Now with my FIL gone... well,it will only intensify. This is just an attempt on my part to give her some measure of security, and even with this product I am willing to bet good money that my phone will be ringing off the wall at all hours of the night.

That's o.k., dirtgirl - you've gone through a lot of stress recently - we understand.

DG: I wondered if that is what you meant actually. It just didn't make sense.......not that I'm from Illinois or have ever been there, but didn't think it was big bear country!! I get it now.

Hmmmmmmm..........maybe an in-law apartment would be less trouble?

DG: I am so sorry about your father-in-law.

Tell me: What exactly is attracting the bears to the yard? I think the key is to look at those factors, and, if possible, remove them. For example, if she is feeding the birds, she should stop. If she leaves food out for the dog or cat, stop that, too.

Good luck.

Elly, She doesn't have bears, she is thinking for peace of mind for protection sort of thing rather than toting a gun.

"Elly, She doesn't have bears, she is thinking for peace of mind for protection sort of thing rather than toting a gun."

Points out the importance of reading every single post in a thread so that one doesn't miss something; I've been guilty of that on occasion.

Becoming a widow is a big change. I suggest some grief counseling and appointments with a psychologist to discuss these feelings of fear. It's difficult to be alone after such a loss. Maybe different living arrangements would be in order. A place in a condo or apartment building brings you much closer to friends and neighbors.
If you MIL feels so frightened that she needs protection then she a problem that should not be solved with any sort of weapon. Goodness gracious she could end up spraying the UPS delivery driver. VAL

Sorry; I foolishly assumed there was a problem : )

So this stuff isn't really for bears but actually just for peace of mind vs. people and other types of animals?
Really - if she's scared enough to need bear spray in Illinois I'd put her in a nice apt with other older folks.
I agree with Val basically. I wonder if a place would let her sort of go month to month for 3 months so she could try it out?
Mary
Who has the opposite problem. My elderly mother isn't afraid of anything plus she's too deaf to hear noises. She is an assertive no fear say what she thinks PIA:)

hey everybody...first off, thanks for all your responses, including your condolences. We will be ok, in time. Secondly, if any of you are wondering why it's taken me so long to respond, it's because for some reason my computer friend here does not seem to want to open any threads I have posted on and keeps popping up an irritating little "operation aborted" box. I am guessing it has something to do with the anti-spam/anti-cookie program we run occasionally, but I am not sure. Anyway, some days opening my treasured forums site slows to a crawl and I don't always have the time/patience for it.
Now, back to the topic at hand. I did order some pepper spray, but the company I worked with advised me to not go with the bear formula but instead order a police-issue type because the bear formulation is way too much for a human and could in fact be a lethal dose. I could just see her trying it out when we were gone and having it drift back in her own face...eeeks. I was WAY put off by the cost: which came up to 84$ and change for an 8 oz canister and two purse sized ones. I could have gotten three gallons of GAS for that much money!! :) I will just keep that bit of info to myself, and besides, she is pleased with the whole plan overall, and that is worth a million dollars to me anyway. I am willing to bet that she never once has to use the stuff, but knowing she has it and that it does have stopping power will be a huge confidence booster.
I wish I could explain her personality in words that don't make it sound as if I am disdainful or disrespectful...her siblings have told me that she was raised "the baby" and as a result led a pretty sheltered life but that's all over now and it will be really really hard for her. Her son and I need to be as supportive as we can without becoming her security net.

Hi Dirtgirl,
Would she feel better with some type of security system? You wouldn't have to go the whole 9 yards...maybe just some of it.
My DH and his siblings bought their mother these things that you hang on your door handles inside, and if they are disturbed, they trigger an alarm that goes off. They have outside alarms available too. But I realize if these things go off accidentally, she would be scared to death for no reason.
Is her house pretty secure? Deadbolts? Security light? Maybe one of those screen doors with iron bars?
I don't know if your area has enhanced 911, but I sure like it. All you have to do is dial 911, and they know who is calling, even if you don't say anything, and they send someone out. How about one of those alarms you wear around your neck, and if you fall, you just press and button and the security company sends someone out?
I think there are alot of simple security measures to take, that wouldn't be too expensive and might make her feel alot more secure. Good luck Dirtgirl.

Dirtgirl, my condolences. It's hard to determine if from the thread if your MIL is understandibly insecure at this time or truley vulnerable from an unsafe environment.

In my situation my GF lives over an hour away and is in a remote location. For this reason, I trained her with a pistol...she is competent,safe, and uses good judgment. Twice in the past year someone has tried to break into her house in the middle of the night. NOTHING is more furstrating than to get a 1:00AM call that from your loved one that someone is trying to break in. Simply brandishing a pistol worked in both cases. When law enforcment showed up they praised her for having a weapon and using good judgment. Even a nonfirable pistol could deter a bad situation. Having a good police department is great, but having some confidence that you have some means of protecting one's self if needed, can be important for personal comfort.

Ultimately, the question is should your MIL be living alone?

I don't know if this will work with bears, but it certainly will work with dogs and bears ears are likely as sensitive as any other animals. If a dog attacks you, one blast from an air horn will likely stop him in his tracks. It also works to stop a dog that is barking incessantly. The only problem might be that your MIL would scare herself as much as the bear. Perhaps you could let one blast go just so she would know what to expect if she had to use it. You can get an air horn at a store that sells marine products. It is used by boaters. Just a thought.

My condolences on your loss.

I think you should add an air horn to her "arsenal". My mother carried one of these in her purse (they make them so you have to flip something up to make it work so it does not go off accidentally). I also encourage you to get the door alarms which CatherineT suggested - they made me feel safe when I first got divorced and lived on my out in the country place alone.

If she would tolerate or learn to love a dog, rescue one and give her that - there is nothing like a dog to make you feel safe, especially since you can cuddle up to it as well. Taking care of a pet is something often recommended by Psychs when a person is dealing with a loss of a loved one - it helps you cope, knowing that something is dependent on you.

They also have something which makes the noise like a shotgun being cocked - I am not sure where you can get these, but they do sound like a shotgun being cocked - if I were a burglar and heard that - I would run pretty fast!!

An air horn was what I was thinking too. Anyone or aniamls would run like the wind.

Dirtgirl, I just wondered on to this forum today for the first time. I am a resource coordinator for low income elderly folks. I deal with this issue often. I understand your consern for her AND yourself. An airhorn is a great recomendation and a tool we use frequently. I would also suggest a Lifeline, this is a device worn around the neck or wrist with a button to push if you fall and can't get up. This hooks up with a phone system, and has a speaker. Pushing the button will call the 24 hour monitoring person that will be able to talk to her right away and advise her what to do.They will call an ambulance police or fire units if need be or even a near neighbor or relative. This si another peace of mind tool and costs only about $30.00 a month. Look into her local Area on Aging center, she may qualify for in home assistance, even if it's just light housekeeping it will give her someone to talk to on a regular basis, and take some of the pressure off of you. Get her involved in some of the senior activities in her area. No matter how much you love her unless she has something to do and peace of mind you will be getting constant calls that you won't want. If you give me her state city and county I will get you info on agencies to call.
Good Luck!
Lisa

Thanks for the input, Lisa.
I have indeed heard about the services you mention...actually my grandmother comes to mind as a likely candidate for the program as she is getting more unsteady on her feet and still lives alone. As for my MIL however, right now the only affliction this woman has is a hyperactive paranoia about people trying to take advantage of her...siphon her gas, steal her stuff out of her garage, general mischief on her property. And animals, she is afraid every animal is just waiting to attack her and it doesn't help that she believes the old myth of black panthers behind every bush in southern illinois. I just found out that she is now locking her door when SHE GOES OUT TO MOW THE YARD. Her son asked her how she expeccted to be able to get back in if she got hurt or something...and she won't turn her cell phone on because it would use up her minutes if she got a call. This whole feeling of vulnerability got me started on the pepper spray notion, not that there are any bears in the area. I'm sorry that my lack of clarity in posting got people confused there...And I guess I should add here that I did make a purchase and she now has a fire-extinguisher- sized crowd control version pepperspray cannon inside the front door. SO, all of you thug-minded gangs of mean spirited people who are reading this (she knows you are out there) stay clear of that place cuz she is ready and waiting for you to show up.

foot note: I know it sounds like I am poking fun at this and I guess I am, but sad as it is, her mindset is such that suggesting that she see a counselor would really only infuriate her. Trust me, she sees nothing wrong with being this way and this is just how the rest of her family tells me she's been most of her life. I guess now that her husband is gone her tendencies will only intensify.

I add my condolences to those of others here. You have a lot to contend with. My MIL is also an aging widow who needs to feel totally safe and secure. It can be very frustrating.

I have a friend who lives on the edge of Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe CA. That is big time bear country. She and all her neighbors have air horns. In addition, they regularly scrub their decks, porches, entryways, even kitchens, etc., with PineSol, which bears hate. Perhaps you could wipe down those areas on your MIL's home from time to time, even if the likelihood of a bear appearing is remote. The idea is to prevent bears from entering in the first place. My friend also has cans of bear repellent, but has never used them. She always gets a signal that a bear is outside because her cats hit Mach 2 as they race for under the bed. Could your MIL have a cat? You could tell her that it is guaranteed to warn her if there's any danger outside, and that would be the truth. And it might be both good company and a distraction for her.