I typed "rope strength" into Google and hit the first link to get the chart below. Keep in mind the safe working load is only 20% of the tensile strength but the bear isn't concerned with safe.
From the articles I've been seeing lately, bird feeders have become to bears what a box of chocolates is to the fat lady. They've really been tearing them up in the NorthEast US.
I've no way of knowing if the pictures are genuine but I know they are entirely possible and I've no reason to believe they are not.

Has anyone else seen the video of the bear falling out of the tree onto the trampoline?

Good stuff! :lol:

Anyone notice that in the first picture he is on the left side of the feeder and on the rest of the pics show him on the right side?

I've had bird feeders for years and have tried every method I can think of to keep the squirrels off short of having a live exposed electric cord tied to it to zapp them. I once used my pellet gun and shot 6 of them and the next week a new group came over from another neighborhood to eat at the feeder. I took one of those old round discs that kids slide on in snow country and put it over the feeder and they still figured out how to get around it; I even painted it with axel grease so they would slide down so they just ate the rope and dropped the whole damn thing in my flower beds. Then I got smart and got rid of the feeder! :lol:

Ok, so maybe I have my stupid hat jammed on too tight but, I see a lot of stuff about keeping squirrels out of bird feeders and I'm wondering, why? Seems to me the only things the birds in my yard do is poop all over my car. What do squirrels do that's so bad??? Sue me, I like furry better than feathered.

Squirrels used to plague me about my bird feeders. I put out a couple of squirrel feeders (the ones you put a whole ear of dry corn on) and tada... no more problems. If they can find corn and get easy access to it they prefer it over the bird seed.

If you can't beat em, join em.

In Texas, (and elsewhere) discharging a firearm is a sexual act. :biggrin:

Look it's Yogi Bear. Yogi - "Who put my pic-a-nic-a basket up there". Hey Boo Boo. :apaw:

No kidding, plus it's damned entertaining to watch the little critters hang by their feet trying to get at the birdseed.