Black bear intruder....advice....

Did she contact the local hunting/game authorities? Maybe it could be trapped and hauled away or they could take care of it. That happens in some states. Best to check up on local laws before opening fire. Get some bear spray also.

Unless she gets more chickens, her troubles are probably past. Regardless, there’s two things I would do.
1. Contact the local game warden and inform them so perhaps they could take care of it.
2. Would be to get that 336.

In Oklahoma at least, you have the right to defend your livestock.

By all means get in touch with the Game department. The best case scenario is they trap and relocate the bear.

I worked with a guy who killed a bear on his back porch. One of his neighbors turned him in. Several thousand dollar fine and he lost his hunting privileges for 5 years. Their definition of protecting yourself and livestock might not be the same as yours.

But a Mossberg 500 with slugs would definitely do the job and probably be the most inexpensive option.

GEM said:

Did she contact the local hunting/game authorities? Maybe it could be trapped and hauled away or they could take care of it. That happens in some states. Best to check up on local laws before opening fire. Get some bear spray also.

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This x 100 is the right answer. That said, I would still get either of those guns to TCB in the event that other measures don't pan out. Either should be fine, as black bears are killed with both. A shotgun would probably be the cheapest way to go.

If she is nervous about the bear and it's OK to shoot one on your porch or at your door, I'd suggest a 00 buckshot load with an open-choked shotgun.
It has to be close to be a real threat and fear will make shooting a bullet or slug accurately problematic. The buckshot can spread out and make up for bad aim up close.
BTW, buckshot will kill a black bear.

Laphroaig said:

I worked with a guy who killed a bear on his back porch. One of his neighbors turned him in.

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Sounds like the guy forgot to notify the game warden. Things like this usually better when the shooter notifies the game warden.

The 336 would be a far better option for a woman than a 12ga with slugs. The .30-30 will do a fine job with a lot less recoil and slugs are not the Hammer of Thor that people think they are anyway.

I cannot see a woman who notifies the game warden of killing a black bear at her house getting in too much legal trouble. But I would check my state laws. It is hard to beat a shotgun in the home defense role.

Even people who have been well trained could get jittery close in with a 336 on a decent sized bear. I think the 500 with 00 buck is the better choice.

I see recommendations for a 30-30 and a shotgun without knowing if this woman is able to handle either one.

Best for her to call the local game warden.

With the chickens gone, I sort of doubt the bear will return. In Pennsylvania, problem bears are trapped live and then set loose a long distance away from the "crime scene." It's a solution that works well for bee keepers, farmers, and home owners.

Too late now, but a Mossberg lever-gun in 30-30 would've done the job. They're available through Gallery of Guns for a very fair price.

TR

The operative words were "...outside Seattle...."
Take great care that local authorities have been pre-coordinated with in that (now very) squirrely region.

I don't see how the chickens being "gone" is any sort of comfort. I raised chickens for years and had them wiped out several times. They were always replaced with more chickens.

saturno_v said:

3" Brenneke Black Magic are very effective but recoil is also very stiff.....

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They're more effective than Fosters but my wife has a limit with 20ga bird loads. A 28ga gas gun is preferable. If I had her shoot a 12ga 3" magnum she'd wrap it around my neck.

Glockula said:

Even people who have been well trained could get jittery close in with a 336 on a decent sized bear. I think the 500 with 00 buck is the better choice.

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So your solution is greater recoil with a less effective load that won't get any spread anyway? Let us keep in mind that this bear is killing chickens, not breaking into the house.

CraigC said:

Let us keep in mind that this bear is killing chickens, not breaking into the house.

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This is what gets most folks in trouble when they shoot a bear outta season. While many states let you shoot a predator outta season to protect domestic livestock, you better have a wounded or dead domestic animal there when they come to get the bear carcass. Washington state allows you to kill a bear to protect your property if and when "Ia person taking such action must have a reasonable belief that the animal poses a threat of serious property damage, that this damage is imminent, and that killing the animal is the only reasonable available means to prevent the damage". I don't know if a few chickens would be considered serious property damage. If a bear gets into the henhouse one night and kills all your chickens, you(by my states interpretation) do not have the right to shoot any bear that comes into your yard after that....even if it's the same bear. That is, unless it starts killing livestock....again. After the first attack, you should have contacted the authorities. Washington State will respond to any emergency when there is a threat....one only needs to call 911. If there is not imminent danger. one should contact them during business hours, i.e., the closest regional office. They are much better at getting rid of nuisance animals than most ladies unfamiliar with big game. If anything, she needs a dog. Most any dog will keep a bear away or scare that animal away. Seems a better option than a long range weapon of which she is not very proficient. Odds are, she could have been reimbursed for the chickens and the damage done. Odds are, there was something else besides the chickens that attracted the bear in the first place. Pet food outside, open garbage and bird feeders are the biggest reasons black bears come into folk's back yards. Like my state, if in Washington state, you kill a bear outta season and you do not get to keep the hide/bear. Authorities here believe the number one reason folks shoot nuisance bears is not because they are at risk, but because they think it is a easy and legal way to shoot a bear. Is is not. around here they investigate such shootings very thoroughly. Just as often as not, those folks shooting a bear claiming self defense, find themselves defending themselves against prosecution.

My advice would be to call the authorities to alert them to the nuisance bear. Give the woman a can of bear spray and one of those loud and inexpensive aerosol air-horns. Suggest a dog, and help her clean up anything in her yard that may still attract the bear. This time of year when bears first come out of their dens, they are hungry and go for the easiest food they can find. Give them nuttin' and they will go somewhere else. Most times, once regular food(like fawns) becomes available, they disappear.

buck460XVR said:

I don't know if a few chickens would be considered serious property damage.

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Legally, I don't know but spend six months raising chickens to laying age and tell me it doesn't seem like "serious property damage" when an uninvited guest makes a meal out of them.

CraigC said:

Legally, I don't know but spend six months raising chickens to laying age and tell me it doesn't seem like "serious property damage" when an uninvited guest makes a meal out of them.

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Raised chickens for many years, along with ducks, geese, quail and pheasants. Had many a fox/owl/hawk make a meal outta one or more of them. Seems in the case of fox, it never happens during the open season. Never thought about killing any of them over it, but others I'm sure have. Again, what Washington State deems "serious property damage" is a mystery to me. Iffin' I called the authorities and they gave me the go ahead to shoot the bear over a few chickens, I don't know if I would, without giving them the chance to do something first. Odds are, they would probably want that chance first. That's why I would ask them and take their advice before the advice from some random guy on the internet. Owning "a .22 rifle and a handgun" does not automatically make one a expert at shooting nuisance bears. Again, my first suggestion is to contact the correct authorities and see what their recommendations/suggestions/solution is, before I'd suggest the purchase of a firearm that she may not even be able to use.

Buck460XVR beat me to it, one of those air horns would help and keep the authorities off her back.

How about we get a specific report about what the authorities said is the appropriate action? Then we could suggest every gun ever made as such threads usually descend into.

So this is a hint. The OP tells us that the authorities said. So we can lay off the gun solutions until we know it is legit to open fire.

Take the hint - so I don't have to shut it down.

Step one is call the game authorities. When we had bear issues They set out traps. Also told us ALL garbage and ANY attractants must be inside at night. Only threat of life of pets livestock (i.e. cows,horse, sheep etc) would allow you to shoot one. They couldn't catch him so when he came back I snuck around the side and sprayed him with bear spray and shot my 45 over his head. Never came back. (oh yah I had a bear 3D archery target up the shop that the sucker tore into. Guess the taste of foam was bad as he didn't completely destroy it. Be careful about shooting and killing a bear out of season without a tag.

We use a radio and strobe lights to try to keep the 'coons out of the sweet corn patch.
It might work on bears, but it is ineffective on their little cousins
Perhaps an electric fence? Nobody likes getting zapped.

Out here on the plains, they let us use a funny Lil orange pistol loaded with essentially screaming bottle rockets ignited by .22 blanks as an alternative to lethal fire to scare pesky game animals away. Check with game authorities about the use in your area, after that, I vote claymore or .30-30