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Bear Report

the BEAR League

Numerous residents from our community have called asking if the person who shot and killed a mother bear in Tahoe City is going to be prosecuted for this crime. A nursing cub was orphaned, rescued a day later by the BEAR League and then taken by the Department of Fish and Game to some unknown area and turned loose to fend for himself. An autopsy was performed on the mother bear and a bullet was found to have been the cause of her death. The Department of Fish and Game has notified the press and the BEAR League that a request will be filed with the Placer County District Attorney for prosecution. If enough evidence is available, which is already obvious, several charges will be filed and there will be a hearing.

Calls come in once or twice a week from homeowners who threaten to kill bears because they believe there are too many in the Tahoe/Truckee Basin. It is important to remember there are legal and illegal ways to kill bears. A bear may be legally taken in a hunt, if the hunter has a license and abides by the laws of the state of California. A bear’s life may also be taken with a depredation permit if the homeowner provides proof that he has suffered damage after taking all necessary precautions to avoid inviting bears into a home. A trap is set and any bear who enters is shot by a government killer. Usually it is not the bear who caused the problem and the permit is then expired and neighbors are disturbed that an innocent bear has lost his or her life.

The best way to avoid problems is to make a home and yard uninviting to a bear before any of them are attracted. There are several ways to accomplish this and the BEAR League is constantly testing new techniques. Bears are extremely intelligent and will quickly learn how to outwit humans who are doing their best to outwit them.



A juvenile bear broke into several empty homes in These homes are all backing the forest and no one was living inside. Food was left by the owners for future visits. In one house a faucet was turned on and the house was flooded causing several thousand dollars in damage.

There was also a home with a stove burner turned on while the bear rummaged through the kitchen. A huge concern is that a fire may accidentally be started if a bear turns on a stove and no one knows about it until it is too late. The BEAR League is recommending that homeowners remove the stove knobs in houses that are left unattended.



An orphan bear is of concern in He is coming close to people in search of food as he is unsure of how to find enough food to prepare for winter. Even though he would still be with his mother for another eight months, were his mother still alive, the Department of Fish and Game considers him an adult because he weighs over 50 pounds, and therefore he cannot be legally rescued.

is one of the most problematic areas when it comes to bears entering empty homes. Two bears have been killed in this neighborhood but it has not stopped the break-ins. Either every bear in Talmont is a ‘bad bear’ or the bears that were killed were not the ones that were causing problems. Meanwhile, the homeowners should be ever vigilant and use techniques that have proven effective in keeping bears from entering homes. Please call the BEAR League for assistance with all efforts to deter bears from your home.

and are also vulnerable with bears known to enter homes that are left unattended. Precautions need to be taken to avoid having problems before they begin.

From the to numerous sightings have been reported due to garbage being left out, unsecured. It is only a matter of time before these resident bears begin to enter homes. Now is the time of year when bears are looking for food almost constantly and consuming about 20,000 calories a day in preparation for winter.

Homeowners are encouraged to be sure under-house crawl spaces are secured because bears are seriously searching for winter den sites. It’s always best to keep the bears uninterested and unwelcome before they sign the deed and move in. They do not pay rent, and are not good tenants.


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