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Shooting of bears stirs outcry
Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/10/5 | Barte Osborn

Posted on 02/10/2005 7:59:36 AM PST by SmithL

TAHOMA - Public reaction to the shooting Friday of three bears - a mother and two yearling cubs hibernating beneath a west Lake Tahoe cabin - is so intense the homeowners who authorized it fear for their lives.

"It's a nightmare - every other call is a threat from someone who's going to burn down my cabin or shoot me on sight," Russ Tonda said Wednesday.

Several weeks ago, the Granite Bay man and his wife discovered about $100,000 in damage to a cabin they've owned for 40 years in the Chamberlands neighborhood here. The culprits apparently were the bears, which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door.

The bear family had helped themselves to food from the pantry and to couch cushions and blankets from the beds.

"It was the worst damage I've ever seen in a house," said Ann Bryant, director of the 900-member BEAR League, which works to help people and bears live in harmony.

Called by Placer County sheriff's deputies, Bryant discovered the adult bear, a small sow sleepily looking up from a red comforter. With her flashlight, Bryant did not spot the two blond yearling cubs apparently behind their mother.

The Tondas initially decided to leave the bear alone and with Bryant's help, secured a trapdoor into the house by placing heavy furniture and firewood on it.

Tonda said Bryant advised him and his wife to leave the bear undisturbed. "She said if we chased it out, it would not survive in the elements," he said.

But the insurance company refused inspection until the bear was gone, and Tonda contacted state Department of Fish and Game officials. Learning they wouldn't move the bear, he obtained a permit and hired three men to shoot the animal.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: animalrights; animalrightsnuts; deadbears; environment; environuts; envirowackos; enviroweenies; goldilocks; humanlifeissacred; moralrelativism; peta; unbearable
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I guess this cabin wasn't "just right."
1 posted on 02/10/2005 7:59:36 AM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Evidently the bears didn't s..t in the woods.


2 posted on 02/10/2005 8:01:53 AM PST by Enterprise ("Dance with the Devil by the Pale Moonlight" - Islam compels you!)
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To: SmithL
The PETA animal rights nuts - well I can see they value animals over human beings. The cabin owners made the right decision. And now they're being terrorized by enviro wackos. Where's the justice?

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

3 posted on 02/10/2005 8:02:24 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

The homeowners should have waited until after they were mauled by the bears.


4 posted on 02/10/2005 8:06:53 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
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To: SmithL; Enterprise

We have a constitutional right to arm bears!......


5 posted on 02/10/2005 8:08:34 AM PST by Red Badger (ANONYMOUS IRAQI VOTER: "I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants.)
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To: SmithL

They should have kept their porridge suspended from a tree.


6 posted on 02/10/2005 8:08:50 AM PST by Sender (Team Infidel USA)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
Uh huh - the same lovey dovey types who want America to exit from the planet. Those people are sick - they put bears ahead of the safety of little children.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

7 posted on 02/10/2005 8:09:47 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: SmithL

"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."

No sympathy for the owners. Given their stupidity, being forced to leave the bears until srping would have been a good way for them to learn to make sure the place was locked up tight.


8 posted on 02/10/2005 8:10:17 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: Sender
"Bears have an inalienable right to sleep in a house; humans don't." New Liberal 11th Commandment.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

9 posted on 02/10/2005 8:11:33 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Bikers4Bush
They secured their back country house the best they could. They sure as heck didn't expect Momma Bear and two babies to squeeze through the crawl space. No one has the foresight to secure against every eventuality.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

10 posted on 02/10/2005 8:13:35 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: SmithL

The only good bear is a dead bear.


11 posted on 02/10/2005 8:14:45 AM PST by SolidRedState (I've just peed my pants and no one can do a thing about it.)
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To: Bikers4Bush

"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."

No sympathy for the owners. Given their stupidity, being forced to leave the bears until srping would have been a good way for them to learn to make sure the place was locked up tight.


I agree! My question is, whatever happened to tranquilizing and relocating animals? I see this all the time on Croc Hunter. Should have called ol' Steve Irwin.


12 posted on 02/10/2005 8:16:01 AM PST by Bigturbowski
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To: Bikers4Bush

Just big varmits...and now warm rugs.

13 posted on 02/10/2005 8:17:34 AM PST by animoveritas (Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.)
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To: Bikers4Bush

Can you really secure a cabin from bear invasion? Considering they have the strength to rip doors off of automobiles.


14 posted on 02/10/2005 8:17:51 AM PST by BufordP ("I wish we lived in the day when you could challenge a person to a duel!")
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To: goldstategop

"They secured their back country house the best they could."

Actually, no they didn't.

"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."

The threats of violence are ridiculous. But, these people didn't have the bears killed for anyone's safety, they had them killed so they could get the insurance people in there right away.


15 posted on 02/10/2005 8:18:22 AM PST by kenth (I love the smell of burning troll in the morning.)
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To: goldstategop

I wouldn't exactly call anything in the Lake Tahoe area "back country".


16 posted on 02/10/2005 8:18:42 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: SmithL
"The bear family had helped themselves to food from the pantry and to couch cushions and blankets from the beds. "

"This couch cushion is too soft."
"This couch cushion is too hard."
"This couch cushion is just right."

17 posted on 02/10/2005 8:19:26 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: BufordP

"Considering they have the strength to rip doors off of automobiles."

Grizzlies or polar bears maybe, I doubt these were either.


18 posted on 02/10/2005 8:20:29 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: SmithL

Unfortunately for the poor bears, they had no fear of humans. Fear of humans is a good thing in a wild animal. Hunting season teaches the survivors the place of humanity in the food chain.


19 posted on 02/10/2005 8:21:39 AM PST by Varda
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To: Bikers4Bush
The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe is forested and gorgeous. The views are well - let's just say you'd want to wake up every day of you life and look at the lake and forest first thing just before sunrise. Its the ultimate getaway from civilization.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

20 posted on 02/10/2005 8:23:01 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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