Bear dies after being shot in Christmas Valley

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A scared Christmas Valley homeowner who encountered a bear standing on her rear paws on his deck, fired one shot at the bear who then ran off.

On Sunday, August 8 at about 12:40 p.m., deputies from El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) responded to the home after the owner called them about the shooting. The man in the home had heard what he thought was a window breaking and grabbed a shotgun, not knowing what caused the sound. When he went outside, the bear was right next to him on the deck and got on her hind legs. The scared man fired one shot and the bear ran.

By the time the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) arrived, deputies had discovered a sow and her two yearlings had broken into an outbuilding, breaking the window. The three were then heading to the main house when the encounter occurred, scaring off all three. EDSO didn't find any blood at the scene or obvious signs of injuries to the bear.

CDFW soon found the 200-250 pound sow alive but she appeared to be under duress from a gunshot wound. Not knowing the extent of her injuries, they used a tranquilizer dart so they could check her out. Unfortunately, the bear died when the dart was used.

As the CDFW staff went back to the home, the two cubs had made it back to the location. There was an environmental scientist there at the same time who also watched the cubs. They determined the two cubs did not need to be transferred for rehabilitation, and were old enough to be on their own, something their mother would have soon done.

According to CDFW Captain Patrick Foy, there was physical evidence to corroborate the shooter's story.

"The homeowner was fearful for his safety and kept a shotgun around in case of situations like this," said Foy. "We felt the actions were warranted, and justified."

He also said that sometimes bears and other wildlife do die from tranquilizer shots when in a stressful situation, and under duress.

No charges are being filed, and the investigation has been completed by both agencies.

This is the second bear to die this year after being shot on the South Shore. On June 25 a man renting a home on Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe shot a bear who had broken into the house. CDFW tracked the bear the following morning and found the gravely wounded bear and euthanized it.