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 ...
Couldn't they have coaxed the bears out with food then shot them with tranquilizer guns?
Now that's what I call intelligent discourse. Some would be big game hunter challengeing me to wrestle a 600lb. bear.
Moron.
As I said, were the "dearly beloved" inspected before interment? And I mean carefully checked for missing parts?
If so, and the bears are to become the property of the bear removal man, as is the situation in the Sheeples Republic of Florida with alligator removal people, then the bear removal man would seem to have a cause of action against the GamePerson, and hopefully the PETA person.
Do try to remember that as Robert Uiterwyk so accurately said "Larceny is inherent in the soul of man."
I believe the New York Times carried this article under the headline, "Blood For Porridge!"
Had the bears entered an occupied home they'd have been bucking.
They didn't, they entered what to them was essentially a cave thanks to the stupidity of the owners.
And it's not exactly like the owners didn't have any place else to live. This was obviously a second home for them and they just couldn't wait 6 more weeks to get that insurance check.
Had it been a safety issue it's a different story but it wasn't as is evidenced by them wanting the bears killed because the insurance company wouldn't go in until they were gone and as another has pointed out because they stood to make some money off of it.
Safety is one thing, this was not about safety for them.
What's the problem? Are you afraid of a little bear that you claim cannot rip off a cabin door?
Upon further cogitation, I am now wondering if you should examine yourself for heretofore unrecognized Liberal sentiments deeply repressed.
In your continued defense of te GamePerson taking the property of the shooters, you are agreeing with violation of the law by a LEO who justified so doing because a PETA person was out of control.
LOE's are supposedly trained in the arrest and removal of such "enraged" whackos.
How can you claim to be a conservative and not see the contradictions between conservative principles and precepts and the socialism/anarchy principles and precepts of the PETA persons and other such social detritus?
Nothing personal, I am just wondering.
It would appear from your post, that you are trying to advance the idea that because the human wasn't occuping the cabin, the poor, needy bears were justified in trashing that citizen's home.
Such views are central to the writings of Marx and Mao, but are generally considered to be antithetical to conservative principles and precepts.
It further appears that you object to the human killing the bears because they caused enormous financial damage to the human.
Damage, which I note neither the PETA person ('person' used loosely) not you offered to pay. It would seem you are eager to inflict an undue burden on the property owner to advance your position - which is beginning to resemble the enviro-socialism of the Liberal and their fellow travellers in PETA. ad nauseam.
Exactly. I live part time on the southern border of Glacier National Park. Why did I buy up there instead of Tahoe? Well, many reasons, but the attitude about wildlife is much more realistic up there. And yes, we get brown bears, aka Grizzlies, crossing through the area twice a year.
I think it's pretty obvious that the owners decided to try to profit from their bad luck or stupidity (take your pick) and were foiled in their attempt. Now, not only did they not profit from their decision, but they probably are on the hook the shooters, and they have made enemies out of quite a few people. Probably even some neighbors who didn't appreciate a having a shootout with bears nearby.
Somehow I find the whole thing pretty rich, and hella ironic.
I'll tell you what slick, you come to Cleveland and I'll drop you off unarmed in the neighborhood of some gang bangers I've been tracking and you can wrestle them.
I this doesn't illustrate for you the idiocy of your challenge then nothing will.
Are you delluded or just drinking a little early today?
THIS WEEKS SPECIALS:
Bear Steak Filet of bear $19.95
Brown Bear Rib-eye Steak $ 24.95
Stew of fresh Bear - $14.95
Ask about our Medallions of baby bear special!
A friend was surveyor for a major project in western Momtana, next to Idaho. He said he learned the hard way to leave the door lached (the bears could open the latch) and thus enter, satisfy themselves there was nothing to eat, and leave.
This option, which was workable for a survey office with no food, was not available to the homeowner
Attempts to bar the door merely p*ssed off the 'bar. The resulting damage was quite impressive.
Moral: Bears aren;'t cute furry people. Sorry, PETApersons.
No kidding? Bears aren't really furry people?
The point is, that the homeowners didn't even TRY to secure the crawl space and weren't bothered until they realised that their insurance check wasn't in the mail.
You'd think that if they'd owned the cabin for 40 years, as the article states, that they might have some incling as to what was living around them.
Apparently not only are they stupid but oblivious to their surroundings.
Yeah, whatever.
What's the problem? Afraid of some little gang bangers?
You just cannot admit that you were wrong in your statement about the strength of black bears. Now go away.
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