New & True Bear and Pistol Story?

[NiklasP]

Today's Denver Post has this story
Man who shot and killed intruding bear in Estes Park will not face charges - The Denver Post

 

[rburg]

Have a little sympathy for the poor bear. He was hungry and natural food is hard to find. After the heartless homeowner opened fire, he was hurt and just wanted some hugging or attention. The second time he turned toward the homeowner, he was disoriented and just wanted someone to rub his ears. No cruel human had ever shot him before. Most just feel sorry for him and give up their dinner, or even make him a turkey or ham.

After all, it is his home ground they decided to build their second luxury vacation home on, not theirs. Soon they'll be drinking and partying while skiing. If they hadn't killed him without mercy, he'd be well on his way to sleeping out in the cold and snow, just like his ancestors have always done. And now he doesn't even have the protection of Colorado Division of Wildlife. Those lazy public employees are just collection their fat checks while sitting on their duffs, waiting for their even fatter retirement checks.

How's that for a different approach to the same issue?

 

[oldRoger]

Dick;
Well played sir; you could write editorials for the New York Times.
Roger

 

[NiklasP]

Couple of years ago we had a roaming and hungry bear start to walk into cabin we were living in. Unfortunately, we had just eaten all our food, so bear just said "WOOFF" and went looking elsewhere. Any way, it seemed rather petty to have offered to let bear lick our plates. Alas, no food at the next place either. Or the next. But that was spring and soon lots of berries and apples ... and no snow for months to come.

But, I can tell you, finding yourself sharing a small cabin with a hungry bear is exciting. Hope that bear really understood that what we both yelled out when it walked in was "Holy BatSh--!! Bear!!", in our native languages. Sure hope it did not feel insulted. In hind sight, we did feel bad about not having any food left to share with it. It seemed to be such a nice bear.

And my pistol was laying in room on other side of bear. Nice to not have to explain to Wisconsin DOW about being unable to feed a hungry bear just out looking for a snack, a new home and a nice girl bear to shack up with. Or to have the new carpet cleaned and dead bear removed.

Niklas

 

[OFT II]

And he was just getting his life turned around.

 

[BearBio]

"Those lazy public employees are just collection their fat checks while sitting on their duffs, waiting for their even fatter retirement checks.

Wanna try to do my job?

Of course, You'd have to learn to spell, first!

 

[feralmerril]

Maybe they should come out with a deal inspecting bears. Any with freezer burned ears gets it!

 

[M29since14]

Sometimes I think bears should be encouraged, rather than killed, when they mix it up with dimwitted vacationers and win. I have never lived in bear country but I have been there a few times and have seen some of the most outrageous behavior. It never seems to occur to these folks how big, powerful, and quick a bear is. All they seem to see is a cute, furry animal they read about in storybooks when they were a kid. Naturally, they are trying to raise their own kids to be just as crazy as they are.

 

[Texas Star]

entered the cabin through an open window...

 

[NiklasP]

I wonder how much important information we are not provided about the bear? All bears I know about that broke into buildings (I would include open windows) fit into one of following categories: 1) they already had been breaking into buildings, perhaps learned from a mother bear, 2) their ability to feed on natural foods had been seriously compromised by old age, illness, injury, gunshot wound, 3) food and/or food residue left outside of closed containers provided immediate incentive for a hungry bear to break in.

I have never been close to the cabins at Estes Park but doubt that the windows are very bear proof, even if locked, especially against a motivated bear. I also doubt that much emphasis is placed on cabin renters securing food away from bears, as opposed to folks sleeping in tents. Most folks would consider food in a fridge to be secured. Wish article had such missing information.

I also wonder why the family did not retreat, which is pretty SOP if possible -- again, missing information.

Some towns in Colorado's have very persistent bear problems, especially when natural foods are scarce in surrounding areas. Garbage containers, fruit trees, berry patches, etc. are magnets. Some campgrounds are closed because of foraging bears. Many years ago in Montana a mamma grizzly and her two cubs were nightly visitors to a very prolific apple tree only 10s of meters from our bedroom window. A few nights and the apples were gone, no more bear watching-- bummer.

Niklas

 

[rburg]

Some towns in Colorado's have very persistent bear problems, especially when natural foods are scarce in surrounding areas.

The problems have been going on since before Colorado. The early miners weren't nearly as PC as today's elite mountain dwellers. They accepted the problem as they found it, and took care of things. They also shot the bears. Every year the bears come to town. Last week Salida had a photo in their paper with a bear in a tree. Buena Vista has its problems each year. Its worse, or seems so in Aspen. There was a recent article in the Aspen Daily News stating the police field an average of 80 calls per week about bears. Why the police? Bears don't recognize uniforms or those wearing them. Besides, they're poorly armed for the duty at hand.

Back to the original post.... Sorry I missed the part about the bear turning its life around.

Each fall a few dozen bears are destroyed because they can't stay out of houses. Or garbage cans. Its been going on forever, and will continue until people leave the mountain towns, or bears become extinct. Nothing to get all worked up over. I can also predict with great accuracy that a bunch of people will die in auto accidents this fall.

Estes Park seems to be a really odd interface with wildlife and people. A couple of years ago they were having a problem with mountain lions. One couple was upset because an adolescent lion was looking in their young son's window. Normal protective parents would have just shot the thing. Instead they did the politically correct approach and made noise and looked bigger.

Someone has a sigline "When in question or in doubt, run in circles and scream and shout." Maybe that's what the bear folks should have done before just shooting it. In the smaller towns the bears come to visit, too. The only difference is they practice the SSS method. It never makes the papers.

I like these threads.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I agree with most of the comments here. PC I'm not. But my grandfather took care of the bear problem we had when I was a lad. He used the 38-55 Winchester.

 

[DeadAye]

Maybe the local PETA chapter can send some members out to sit the bears down and straighten 'em out.
A bit of counseling could eliminate a lot of trouble later on. It seems that no one advises the bears of their rights or the possible downside to B&E.

After All - Bears are people too - Right?

 

[NiklasP]

As some of you already know, Estes Park is home to a bunch of elk, which, in turn, attract a lot of tourists. There is a story floating around about one tourist that inquired of the police "Where can I see wild elk? All of the elk here in town are tame."

Now and then we encounter some very concerned, even frightened and running hikers in Rocky Mountain National Park. They were hiking and then, suddenly there is a herd of elk all around them -- it can be rather scary to be surrounded by a bunch of rather intimidating elk, of all sizes, including some just born that spring, all of them staring at you.

Mountain lions (pumas to lots of folks) are all over the Front Ranges and I presume all over the Rocky Mtns. At many trailheads are signs warning hikers about mountain lions. I have yet to see one in 10 years of hiking and skiing in these "mountain lion infested" areas. They are there -- on good snow tracking days I often find that I am not alone, with an unseen big kitty keeping me company. But, I am not much concerned -- what big kitty would want to eat an old man when tastier stuff abounds? I freely admit that I often make a point of traveling where the big kitties do -- that is simple, just travel where the deer do.

Bears are hard to find out in the mountains, even where they are abundant -- much easier to find them in town. Maybe in your cabin.

Niklas

 

[quneur]

The berries this year are almost nonexistent due to the long wet season we had here in WA state. A few months ago, a bear was found wondering around in the middle of suburbia, Lynnwood. It was found and killed near my mother's place by LPD. Here is a link to the story:

Officers shoot bear loose in Lynnwood neighborhood | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News

 

[mtgianni]

All want an easy food source; people, bears, lions, mice etc. The local lions feast on chained dogs until peoples learning curve changes. Food drawsbears this time of year. It may not be just keeping garbage out of their way but odors. How do you live and eliminate cooking odors? The species unwilling to adapt have always lost out.

 

[30-30remchester]

Instead of new true bear stories I have an old true bear story. A close friend of mine had a German P-09 9mm military handgun. This well worn out gun would not cycle and Jim would shoot competitions one shot at a time using mild loaded handloads with cast bullets. After thoroughly kicking my butt in a shooting match, he went home to his Colorado home and was cleaning this clunker when a @150 pound black bear walked into his home and started tearing up his kitchen. Still seated in his lazyboy he took aim and killed this bear with one 9mm loaded with cast bullet.

 

[badam0112]

"Those lazy public employees are just collection their fat checks while sitting on their duffs, waiting for their even fatter retirement checks.

Wanna try to do my job?

Of course, You'd have to learn to spell, first!

Relax, he was making fun of how the media/libs can spin a story in a different light to fit their agenda.

 

[glenncal1]

This bear broke into my house and instead of getting into the food he drank my Whiskey. I don't mind sharing but the he didn't leave a shot for me. I figured the hangover he would have was punishment enough:

Drunk Bear - YouTube

 

[NiklasP]

Various hungry critters get drunk, commonly by eating fermented fruits or berries. Here is an article about a moose in Sweden that apparently ate a few too many fermented apples, something that seems to happen a few time each fall.
Rescuers free drunken moose stuck in tree - World news - Weird news - msnbc.com

One could wonder just how many wayward bears ate too many fermented foods prior to break ins, etc.

Niklas