[Dr. Franklin]

Is it illegal to just shoot and kill it?

Unless the bear is shot in self-defense, killing it is illegal unless the person has a license and it's bear season. It is also illegal to shoot a bear with live ammo too close to a house, even if it's bear season.

[ModelBreaker]

“Unless the bear is shot in self-defense, killing it is illegal unless the person has a license and it’s bear season. It is also illegal to shoot a bear with live ammo too close to a house, even if it’s bear season.”

And, dragging a dead bear out from under your crawl space and then disposing of the carcass would be a big project.

[AZJeep]

Is it illegal to just shoot and kill it?
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I am not sure about CA, but in many states you can kill any “nuisance animal” regardless of season.
I am not sure, if this applies even for protected species; bear is not a protected specie to my knowledge.