Posted on 05/16/2008 6:56:38 AM PDT by Darren McCarty
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — Battle Creek police have killed a black bear that state officials believe wandered out of the wilds and well beyond its usual comfort zone.
The Battle Creek Enquirer reports Officer Troy Gilleylen was looking for the victim of a domestic assault early Friday when he shined his patrol car spotlight down a street and saw the bear. He tried to get a closer look, but the bear ran away.
Police say they shot the animal four times but it kept disappearing. They followed drops of blood on the pavement to the wounded bear and killed it
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
I can't post from BCE because of copyright matters.
Wow, really a monster
DANG! Battle Creek. A rough town for Bears, eh? Poor fella was probably just looking for a Picnic basket.
...here in the NC mountains we always have more bear activity in April/May....that’s when the males are roaming about looking for a mate...sometimes they do wonder into populated areas, get confused and can’t get out....just bad luck on their part...I don’t like to see them shot if they can be darted.
Is the bear’s family now going to sue the police?
they’ve been coming further and further down on occasion lately. we had one roaming around lansing a few years back, it headed down thru Charlotte. i’ve also found prints where i hunt in nashville.
i’ve been wondering if this was all the same bear roaming or if its multiple bears, and either way, where they are heading.
grellis, MI ping
sjackson, midwest outdoors ping.
Had a black bear on our street this week in MA. During the night it went from house to house, demolishing all the bird feeders on the street to eat the seed. Was seen under a neighbor’s deck the next morning. Went on its way. Overbuilding here has dislocated the bear population. Even in this housing market, developers are falling all over one another to throw-up crappy developments.
I’m hoping to see some in Yankee Springs soon.
I don't know why the bear's race is is relevant to the story. ;-)
I’m surprised that no one one this thread has pointed out the obvious: these cops abused their authority!
I’m pretty sure Michigan has laws governing the taking of game animals, and since this bear was not posing an immediate threat, those laws should have applied!
I’m not a PETA type; I love hunting, but what these guys did was plain wrong! They should have reported the presence of the bear to the the Game authorities and had them take whatever action they deemed appropriate (trapping,drugging or shooting).
These cops were on the way to a domestic disturbance call; what happened at THAT location while they were bear hunting???
It’s closer to Chicago than the Northwoods!
I remember a sighting at the CC landfill about 10 years ago.
If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.
Someone help me out here. Eleven, maybe twelve years ago there was some kind of public vote regarding bear hunting(I think it specifically addressed the issue of canine use in bear hunting). At that time, I remember hearing--more than once--that black bears were not only common in Michigan but that the area around Howell was overpopulated with bears. I remember this for a very specific reason that I won't go into (it's beside the point, anyway). What I am wondering is this: Were the stories I heard back then completely off, or are black bears fairly common thoughout MI, both LP and UP?
I’d say “not common” but definitely present. Lots of large municipal landfills along the I96 and I94 corridors.
Now I know! Thx
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