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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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To: SmithL

Couldn't they have coaxed the bears out with food then shot them with tranquilizer guns?


41 posted on 02/10/2005 8:55:46 AM PST by cubreporter
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To: GOP_1900AD

Now that's what I call intelligent discourse. Some would be big game hunter challengeing me to wrestle a 600lb. bear.

Moron.


42 posted on 02/10/2005 8:56:52 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: Bikers4Bush

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."


43 posted on 02/10/2005 8:58:38 AM PST by GladesGuru
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To: Bikers4Bush
"part of the conservative philosophy is taking responsibility for one's own actions. "


If you believe what you posted, surely you would agree that a subordinate predator destroying the "nest" of the dominant predator is behavior advised against by nature and Conservative alike.

Why are you having troubles accepting that these bears were 'bucking' (forgive the 'nature' pun ;-)) for the ursine equivalent of a Darwin Award.
44 posted on 02/10/2005 9:03:58 AM PST by GladesGuru
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To: SmithL

I believe the New York Times carried this article under the headline, "Blood For Porridge!"


45 posted on 02/10/2005 9:08:19 AM PST by Tacis ("John ("What SF-180?") Kerry - Still Shilling For Those Who Wish America Ill!")
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To: GladesGuru

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.


46 posted on 02/10/2005 9:09:08 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: Bikers4Bush

What's the problem? Are you afraid of a little bear that you claim cannot rip off a cabin door?


47 posted on 02/10/2005 9:14:21 AM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: Bikers4Bush

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.


48 posted on 02/10/2005 9:14:40 AM PST by GladesGuru
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To: Bikers4Bush

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.


49 posted on 02/10/2005 9:25:26 AM PST by GladesGuru
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To: Bikers4Bush
When I think of back country I think of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho etc. I do not think of the Lake Tahoe area.

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.

50 posted on 02/10/2005 9:29:26 AM PST by HolgerDansk ("Oh Bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.)
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To: GladesGuru

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.


51 posted on 02/10/2005 9:32:58 AM PST by Smogger
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To: GOP_1900AD

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.


52 posted on 02/10/2005 9:34:25 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: GladesGuru

Are you delluded or just drinking a little early today?


53 posted on 02/10/2005 9:35:15 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: SmithL

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!


54 posted on 02/10/2005 9:46:09 AM PST by Michael.SF. (Someday I will fondly look back on the day Hillary's career ended. Starting tomorrow, I hope.)
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To: Bikers4Bush

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.


55 posted on 02/10/2005 10:02:02 AM PST by GladesGuru
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To: GladesGuru

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.


56 posted on 02/10/2005 10:14:10 AM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: Bikers4Bush
a regular California black bear (grizzly & kodiak are brown bears) can peel a car door open. Bears are similar in intelligence with dogs. The story is that in Yosemite Park the bears learned that the old VW bugs (airtight) could be popped open by jumping up on the roof.
There was a ban on mountain lion hunting in Calif passed in the '70s, now guess what? We've got mountain lions in people's back yards. There are signs at the trailheads, DANGER - Mountain lions - keep your children close, etc..
My feeling is any time an animal becomes a danger to children; time to cull the herd. Bears in habited areas definately pose a danger to children.
57 posted on 02/10/2005 10:43:33 AM PST by CATravelAgent (Morality, like art, begins with drawing a line.)
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To: Bikers4Bush

Yeah, whatever.


58 posted on 02/10/2005 11:28:19 AM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: GOP_1900AD

What's the problem? Afraid of some little gang bangers?


59 posted on 02/10/2005 12:10:23 PM PST by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: Bikers4Bush

You just cannot admit that you were wrong in your statement about the strength of black bears. Now go away.


60 posted on 02/10/2005 12:17:25 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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