One positive note: the straps did a great job of mitigating damage to the equipment. It could have been worse.
Or at least that’s the way it feels this morning. These hives are two of fifteen or more at this location. I knew I was living on borrowed time as far as my bees were concerned. My main yard is situated on a steep slope right up against a lovely piece of BLM forest. While I have the power for an electric fence, the landscape has never been conducive to fencing of any sort. Today, I will be paying the piper, as the bear that did this will very likely be coming back tonight to do a more thorough investigation. All the hives, heavy with curing nectar, will need to be relocated. It is going to be a very long day.
Lane County HiveWays 
I hope you are feeling OK now. This happens to lots of country beekeepers and you’re in good company. On the other hand, I took the QUEEN from the big hive that donated frames for my queen cell castle. Beekeeping can be so hard.
We got most of the hives moved–only two to go, and those in the yard across the street–so, yes, thanks to my kind neighbors, heroic son, and supportive beekeeper friends, I am feeling much better!
Can you explain exactly what happened with your queen, Judy? I think I don’t quite understand.
Glad things are getting organized in your yard after that unBEARable event. My queen: I was making up the queen castle for developing queens and took a frame with brood…….and the queen, which I missed. Classic error. Morris called and said there were bees by one of the entrances fanning as if a little swarm moved in. I knew it wasn’t a swarm. I knew exactly what I’d done. Indeed, there were MANY emergency queens developing in the donor hive. So today I traded a frame with a developing queen for the frames with the original queen. Now I just hope the donor hive accepts their queen back. I think I got all the emergency cells. If anyone needs some royal jelly I have the cells in my freezer.
What an adventure! I’m sorry it didn’t go more smoothly. Your offer of royal jelly is really generous; you need lots for grafting, right? How long will it keep in the freezer?