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 ...
Black bears were ripping doors off of cars and motorhomes so often in one section of a national park I visited they had to close it to overnight camping.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
I guess this cabin wasn't "just right."
I'm well aware of what the entire Tahoe area looks like. I used to live in Reno and spend a lot of time up there.
You can call it a resort area but it's not exactly back country.
When I think of back country I think of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho etc. I do not think of the Lake Tahoe area.
While I believe in conservation, sometimes the bears have to lose. If I end up with some dangerous critter under, in or on top my house, I am sorry it is going to die. This is why I like parks and preserves, they have their place and i have mine. I have to follow the rules in their areas and while I have yet to meet a animal who reads or understands the law, they have to take their chances in human areas. Sure, I understand that we humans are everywhere and living in all the good spots, but life is not fair. That is one thing all animals do understand.
Black bears get to be anywhere from 200 - 650 lbs. at most and you're trying to tell me that they were tearing closed and locked doors off of cars that have been engineered to withstand the impact of other cars at high speeds?
Sounds to me like everyone up there was driving yugo's.
Bryant's account differs.
"I came out from under that house and said, 'We've got to get that bear out of there,' but they both insisted it be left alone," she said of the Tondas.
"I said I would call a friend with a backhoe to clear away the snow that had built up around the entrance. Then I would enter ... and shoot a blank behind it. After it ran out, I would put Pine-Sol inside and board up the entrance, and it would not come back."
"And then I would leave it only if the homeowner wanted it to stay, there had been no damage and the home was secured," she said. "I work with the sheriff's office doing at least one of these aversions a week - sometimes three a week. The bears have summer resting places, and they'll soon find one of those and make a new den."
Bryant said she was shocked that the Tondas did not want the bear removed. She was even more shocked when she learned that instead of calling her to chase the bear away later, they had hired men to shoot it.
and then...
Bryant said the shooters "were furious and cussed at us and threatened us when they weren't allowed to take the bears' carcasses."
She said the bears' gall bladders and claws could have been sold for as much as $20,000.
Bear gets into cabin.
Owners call Sheriff. Sheriff calls bear expert who offers to get rid of bear for free.
Owners decline and call hunters to kill bears for profit.
Sheriff takes bear carcass depriving owners of profit.
Neighbors offer to shoot owners.
Did I miss anything?
Sounds like you may be right.
"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? "
Bring on your death threats PETA types. I'm sure there's more ammo available for the gun...You only have to shoot a few of them, and they would stop. These green wienies are way too wuss to fight a real war.
We have to respect a bear's right to choose.
Yup, Black bears tearing car/motorhome doors off their hinges.
Black bears in Yosemite can remove locked car doors. Everywhere I park to camp in the Sierra Nevadas has signs posted that warn of storing food or anything that may look like food to a bear in your car. Bears are bad-ass and in places of high human traffic, they don't fear man. I believe that came about from us NOT shooting at them.
A motorhome door isn't all that impressive. Most of them are just vinyl coated press board and no match for claws.
A sound car door is another story. I've seen them break car windows, but I've never seen or heard of one tearing a door off.
Except that I am plumb out, due to a recent outbreak of egregious presstitution down here in the Sheeples Republic of FloriDUH, you would be receiving a wedge of Liberal Cheese for your post.
Liberal Cheese; the perfect accompaniment to your Liberal Whine.
A moment on Google.com would have informed you that bears are adept at breaking into structures. If all doors and windows are secure against a determined bear, the home begins to resemble a structure designed to survive an assault by ATF or the local SWAT chappies.
By the way, the GamePerson may have ivolated the rules because of the value of the bear parts. If he is anywhere as corrupt at the GamrePersons here, I suggest inquiring about the details of the "disposition" of the bears. And don't accept the agency press flack's statements. Demand to view the carcases.
Betcha all of the bear isn't in the ground. ;-)
"Betcha all of the bear isn't in the ground."
Betcha it is, a moment reading the article would have informed you of that.
Oh and by the way, part of the conservative philosophy is taking responsibility for one's own actions.
My having no sympathy for the owners and their self created plight is not even remotely a liberal concept.
Tell you what bub. Next time I see a certain large male black bear I've been sort of tracking on the outskirts of Truckee, I'll call you up and ask you to come and wrestle with him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.