Los Angeles, Ca
Bear shot, killed by homeowner in Southern California mountain community
A resident in a small San Bernardino County Mountain community is being criticized after he shot and killed a bear last week that he claimed was getting into his chicken coop.
The Arrowbear Lake resident, a man identified only as Chris, reported the Nov. 13 shooting on Fox Lane to the county sheriff’s department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the homeowner was justified in fatally shooting the animal.
Under California Fish and Game code 4181.1 “any bear that is encountered while in the act of inflicting injury to, molesting or killing livestock may be taken immediately by the owner of the livestock.”
“I love the bears, everybody here. We coexist with them,” neighbor Mike Kutz, who heard the shots told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “I hear three or four gunshots and then, a few minutes later, I had another two more gunshots.”
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A home in the San Bernardino mountains where a bear was shot and killed on Nov. 13, 2024. (KTLA) -
A home in the San Bernardino mountains where a bear was shot and killed on Nov. 13, 2024. (KTLA) -
A chicken coop at a home in the San Bernardino Mountains where the homeowner shot and killed a bear on Nov. 13, 2024. (KTLA)
According to Kutz, the bear was no stranger to the neighborhood and added that it appeared to be skittish of humans.
“He would just walk up the street and if I opened the door to my cabin, he would run,” he said. “He would not stop and look. He would instantly run.”
The homeowner who shot the bear and had previously reported to the sheriff’s department that the animal charged him briefly spoke to KTLA.
“It was getting into my chicken coop. Like I said, talk to the sheriff. They’ll give you the details,” he explained. “I’ve done everything I can to prevent this bear. I had an electric fence. The bear went right through it no matter what. I had a bunch of deterrents, the bear kept coming. I even bear sprayed him, and he still kept coming.”
While the shooting was deemed justified, it has drawn a lot of criticism from other mountain residents, especially online, with many saying it was sad to see the situation end this way.
“I think if fish and game said that it’s justified then it’s justified,” Arrowbear Lake resident Eric Real told KTLA. “I do love animals, so it does hurt to see a bear get shot over the situation.”