Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Grab your bear can or camp chair, kick your feet up and chew the fat about anything Sierra Nevada related that doesn't quite fit in any of the other forums. Within reason, (and the HST rules and guidelines) this is also an anything goes forum. Tell stories, discuss wilderness issues, music, or whatever else the High Sierra stirs up in your mind.
Post Reply
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by rlown »

beach bear.jpg
RENO — Long accustomed to dealing with bad news "garbage" bears that become hooked on improperly stored trash at homes and businesses around Lake Tahoe, Nevada wildlife officials say they're increasingly responding to a new kind of troublemaker they've started calling "drought" bears.

Experts have been predicting for months the lingering drought will lead to significantly more bear problems throughout the Sierra Nevada this summer. Three consecutive years of abnormally dry conditions have reduced most mountain creeks to a trickle and eliminated many natural food sources, forcing bears to greatly expand their search for food into urban neighborhoods, said Carl Lackey, chief wildlife biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

On Friday, wildlife officials captured their seventh problem bear in the last 10 days at Tahoe. An eighth was hit and killed by a car last week.

"We're calling a lot of these 'drought' bears," Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy told The Associated Press. "These are bears that want to be wild, they are doing their best to be wild and trying to stay up in the hills, but they just don't have any food."

Many of the bears can be relocated and released to the wild, including a 3-year-old female trapped on Tahoe's east shore near Glenbrook early Friday.

But another bear had to be killed on Wednesday because it was trying to break into homes and cars, and even wandered onto a busy private beach in a gated community before wardens shot it with a tranquilizer dart and later euthanized it.

...
Full story at: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20 ... /140719905" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by maverick »

That could get pretty dangerous, a starving bear, is a desperate bear, which could
lead to possible confrontations with humans, and guess who will suffer again, poor
bears. :(
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
Rockchucker
Topix Expert
Posts: 407
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:22 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bishop, CA

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by Rockchucker »

image.jpg
At my house a few weeks ago.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
I'm no suture for my future.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by rlown »

hmm. the fence doesn't appear to work.. :) And it's not bear season.. yet...
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by maverick »

Cool photo Rock, all the bear needs now is a Zorro mask.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by rlown »

it'll be back. that wasn't a college prank. What was the bear after, Rockchucker?
User avatar
austex
Topix Expert
Posts: 552
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 11:51 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by austex »

I bet it w/b back. Isn't it kind of odd so far in the flats? Hey if they climb trees; fence is no defense. Like locks; keeps the honest people honest.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by rlown »

CDFW stats: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/bear/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Archery opens up mid August. Not sure what they'll do this year. the "quota" is still around 1700 per year before the season is closed.

From this report, sounds like we should all take really good care of our food.
User avatar
Rockchucker
Topix Expert
Posts: 407
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:22 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bishop, CA

Re: Drought drawing bears near people at Lake Tahoe

Post by Rockchucker »

rlown wrote:it'll be back. that wasn't a college prank. What was the bear after, Rockchucker?
Probably food left at the park, there have been multiple sightings all over the valley floor lately.
I'm no suture for my future.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests