Bear shot at Lake Mary
Bear tragedies continue … this sad scene comes on the heels of two Lakes Basin cubs put down by USDA wildlife specialists. (Submitted photo)
A four-year old female bear was shot and killed by a 58-year old San Bernardino man at Lake Mary on Tuesday evening.
California Dept. of Fish and Game Lt. Marty Markham told The Sheet the shooting occured at approximately 5 p.m. on Forest Service land. Markham said the man was picnicking with others when a black bear approached.
The picnickers retreated to their car while the bear soon began feasting on their food left near the shoreline. An unidentified person managed to haze the bear away, but after the group returned to the picnic, the bear returned once more.
This time, the man, apparently concerned about several “items” at the scene, retrieved a “large caliber handgun” and fired a single shot from approximately 20 yards away, killing the bear.
Mammoth Lakes Police initially responded before handing the situation over to DFG.
An investigation is ongoing and witnesses are still being interviewed, Lt. Markham said. The shooter’s name is being withheld until it’s determined whether or not charges will be filed with the Mono County District Attorney’s office. Markham added that a final report on the case should be ready in “a few days.”
According to Mammoth’s Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles, there were clear sightlines up and down the shore providing ample warning of bears who might be approaching in either direction.
A dead bear cub was pulled out of Lake Mamie the same day. Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle said the deaths are unrelated.
Dear Mayor McCarroll,
My name is Dawn Pilsl and I am a resident of Paradise in Mono County and a hard-working citizen of the Mammoth Lakes community. As an animal rights advocate, I am highly concerned and distressed by the killing spree on bears this past summer. I have read much of the comments from citizens as well as various agency officials and I am still left feeling like there is much more we as a community can do to improve our human and bear interactions. I am not in favor of killing bears and I believe there are many other positive and viable alternatives.
#1 – Why was a depredation permit issued on a female bear and her two cubs? It seems ruthless and cruel to kill not only the mother bear but the cubs as well. We have habituated these bears and they do not deserve to die because of our ignorance. Why couldn’t we have relocated the bears to the southern Sierra in a place such as the Kern Plateau? There are miles and miles of wilderness. Why can’t we use it for the preservation of the bear population? Is it a legislative issue? If so, how can we enact new legislation to support the health and wellbeing of wild animals rather than engaging in their destruction? I know there are DFG personnel in Tahoe who relocate problematic bears. Why can’t we? Who are the wildlife supporters on this town council interested in developing policies for cohabiting with bears and reducing or eliminating the depredation permits issued? How can we impact changes in the DFG’s policies?
#2 – Why was a man allowed to shoot a bear to death with a bow in front of horrified nature lovers? Not only was this a despicable and grizzly act of violence, but it communicates to our visitors that we are not capable of humane treatment to creatures that have no way of defending themselves against these types of attacks. Did the man have a permit to kill the bear? If so, what type of permit was it and who issued it?
#3 – Regarding the man who shot the bear that was eating his lunch at Lake Mary, in my opinion he is not welcome in this town. He should be heavily fined and have to do community volunteer work with agencies that support preservation of wildlife. Who can I talk with to find out the latest details?
#4 – What happened to Blondie? Why did Rob Clark dismiss the assistance of Senator Cox in translocating Blondie to Colorado? Where is Blondie? Is she dead too?
#5 – Regarding Steve Searles, I have personally witnessed his bear aversion techniques and in my opinion they work. He should be fully funded and allowed to do what he does best in retraining these animals. Is it merely coincidental that last year during the filming of Animal Planet, there were very few if any bear killings. Does Council have any ideas as to why there has been a marked increase this year in bear killings and deaths?
#6 – As a citizen, how can I be involved in making positive changes in our human and bear management programs? May I get involved in the wildlife sub-committee? Who can assist me in identifying the decision-makers of the various agencies who have the power to affect real changes in our bear and human management programs? I am interested in talking with the Department of F&G, US Forest Service, Mammoth Lakes PD, Town Council, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Cox and Governor Schwarzenegger.
Who can I count on to assist me and other concerned community members to bring about meaningful and real change? Who will be responding to my questions and when?
My intention was to attend tonight's Town Council meeting however time-sensitive commitments are such that I must leave town this evening at 5:30PM. I am planning to attend future meetings and look forward to participating in any way to improve our human-bear management program. Thank you for listening.