Guy shoots sow bear with two cubs - What would you do?

[H Wally]

Background: our cabins are located mid-bc. They are part of a community of 100 lots, and almost completely cut off from the outside world. No electricity, water etc etc etc. The community is also bordered by several provincial parks.

Anyways.

So my father just came back from a day trip taking supplies his cabin. Within fifteen minutes of arriving he hears a gun shot and investigates. He discovers one of the communities less than stellar occupants poking a dead sow with a rifle. Two cubs are nearby in trees. This man explains that he saw the sow pulling siding off one of our neighbors old sheds (these have been unused on the properties since I can remember) looking for ants. (ants there will infest anything not used within a year). His logical solution to this problem was to shoot her, despite community rules against discharging firearms, and the fact she is known in the area as the "3 oclock bear" because for the past several years she has walked through the community at 3 pm. In the two years she has been doing this she has avoided people at all costs, even with cubs. It is also widely known she had two cubs.

My question is: realistically, what would you do? Actions have been taken involving Conservation officers, but what would the best course of action be?

Alternatively, it's a very very quiet area up there .... what would you do?

 

[ratherbefishin]

well, the simple answer is it was illegal.

 

[Mur]

Shot sow

Let the CO's deal with it.The man is obviously a nitwit,there was no reason for him to shoot the bear,and hopefully he will feel the full force of the law.My neighbour asked me several times last year to come over and shoot the bears in his orchard,I told him to cut his damn apple trees down if he couldn't get along with the bears. Mur.

 

[Chip]

Call it in.

 

[Donny Fenn1]

call it in...

 

[Zoom1200]

Call it in.. Tell the guy what a tool he is.

 

[Maqaiti]

catwork too witnessed a similiar unfortunate incident not too long ago. The guy ended up being charge, not sure what the outcome was.

 

[Lorne]

Call it in.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

I would shoot the bear too.

Only a stupid hippy would try to protect a bear that has a long history of no fear of humans.

 

[Steeleco]

Let the CO's deal with it.The man is obviously a nitwit,there was no reason for him to shoot the bear,and hopefully he will feel the full force of the law.My neighbour asked me several times last year to come over and shoot the bears in his orchard,I told him to cut his damn apple trees down if he couldn't get along with the bears. Mur.

+2 the cubs may or may not make it on their own depending on their age.

The guy is an idiot, he could just as easily scare the bears away, shooting the sow may just have killed three bears.

R.O.A. while I agree with your thinking, rules are rules for a reason.

 

[Ruger30-06]

Its simple, it is illegale to shoot any bear that has cubs around. He could have easily scared her off.

Let the CO's deal with it, and hopefully this guy will be charged and convicted.

 

[MiG25]

sounds like a problem bear to me, one that was teaching her cubs bad habits.

 

[Hoser-eh]

Call it in. Out here in deer country we don't shoot them for nibbling hedges or gardens. There is a season for game.

 

[Blackthorne]

I would shoot the bear too.

Only a stupid hippy would try to protect a bear that has a long history of no fear of humans.

I guess you missed the part of his original post that requires reading skills..


The bear was known to STAY AWAY from people, even with cubs.

If you are going to be an idiot and shoot the sow, at least man up and shoot the cubs as well so they don't starve to death.

 

[senior]

I guess you missed the part of his original post that requires reading skills..


The bear was known to STAY AWAY from people, even with cubs.
th.

Perhaps your reading skills are lacking too ?

A bear commonly named the "3*clock bear" known for wandering thru a community is hardly what I'd call --known to STAY AWAY


To the guy that recommends cutting down an orchard because the bear is bothering the trees I can only say....WTF
By the same thought process (if that is what it is) would you burn your cabin because the bears are breaking into it?

In the situation indicated, I would probably call the CO if the guy is a dickhead anyway.
I have no love for bears, they are destructive beasts if you have apple trees, & hard on fawns, as long as they are too plentiful

 

[hunt365]

By this time the cubs will survive. I too feel that the bear was dangerous however he should have notified MNR and requested they handle it either by relocation or however they saw fit. A sow with cubs coming in contact with people can be very dangerous, if the wrong people come in contact for the bears and the people.

 

[walksalot]

A sow with cubs tearing into a cabin is bad news. I wonder how you would have felt if it was your cabin being torn apart and how secure you felt your cabin to be when you are not around. It's only a matter of time before a bear/human confrontation arose. I have a friend who had a similar problem only no cubs but it was trying to tear into their shed. The C.O. told me to shoot the bear because it was bad news. I gave it one reprieve by putting a round in the ground under it's ass but the bear was back that night. Lucky for the bear I never caught up with it again.

People get up in arms when an animal is shot but it's better this way than after a person get injured or killed. Would anyone let their children play in the area with a bear like this roaming around. Having said that, if one shoots the sow then shoot the cubs because you are not doing them any favors by letting them starve to death.

 

[BIGREDD]

If the CO's have already been notified then that is the proper course of action. If this bear was a problem bear there will be reports of such, if not then your "Nitwit" will become a "less than steller" victim of the Justice System under the Fish and Game Act and rightfully so!

 

[RobSmith]

Call it in, but that being said I'm not ready to condemn the guy for getting rid of a nuisance bear (or any other pest animal for that matter), cubs or no cubs.

 

[220Swifty]

Legally, they guy may have ben wrong, but realistically, it may have been the best think he could do. I wouldn't think it the smartest thing to do, but if the bear is wandering through a community on a daily basis, she obviously doesnt give a #### about people. She may not have attacked anyone yet, but she has learned she can roam in the village, so it was simply a matter of time. Just once, someone would have been caugth off guard by her, or accidentally walked between her and the cubs, and it would have been a nightmare.

Saying this bear is no threat because it hant done anything yet is like saying the car packed with jerry cans and propane, and parked by a guy with the taliban beard, is safe because it hasnt gone off yet.

in hindsight, bear bangers and other non lethal devices, used when the bear first started coming around, would have been the best way to deal with it. Iron the problem right out of the bear.