DOWNIEVILLE — In the aftermath of one black bear’s massive destruction to multiple private properties, which led to its entrapment and euthanization on Pearl Street on Saturday, September 9th, reports began to surface of another bear entering homes. Resident Paul Douville got off easy with his intruder as it entered his house through the screen of an open kitchen window. Aside from a trash can knocked over, hardly any damage was done, nor did the bear relieve himself in Paul’s kitchen. Upon hearing Douville’s approach, the bear quickly departed the same way he arrived. It was such a “non-event” in Douville’s book that he wasn’t even going to report it until others prompted him. The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office was contacted, and a game warden paid Douville a visit. Without any destruction caused, the investigation warranted no further action, and all’s well that ends well. Other locals have not been so lucky as Paul, yet many are still struggling to swallow the bitter news of a bear being put down in recent weeks, and questions arise. Could we have done more as a community to prevent this? Rumblings around town are steeped high in the conjecture that this euthanized yearling was orphaned thanks to its mother being poached. Despite the amount of damage dished out by this yearling, including totaling a vehicle and numerous home invasions on Pearl Street (with one residence being ransacked three times before a depredation permit was sought), some locals still hoped the bear would be trapped and relocated versus trapped and euthanized. In a meeting with Fish and Wildlife discussing the “Pearl Street Bear,” The Messenger learned the relocation of conflict bears is done few and far between. Besides a bear traveling hundreds of miles to the nearest town after being relocated, there is the issue of dumping a problem bear into the deep forest smack dab into another bear’s territory. As Environmental Scientist Eric Kleinfelter pointed out, “If you move it into an area where there are already established bears, the chances of the bear’s survival are low... the better scenario is folks taking measures in deterrence for the long term survival of the bear”. California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Information Officer Peter Tira explained there are two sides to his shop: law enforcement (Game Wardens and Wildlife Officers) and their Human-Wildlife Conflict Biologists/Specialists. The biologists typically deal with “conflict” bears causing financial damage while public safety issues remain in law enforcement (Game Warden) territory. When a call comes in regarding a problem bear, it is quickly determined if the bear is a “conflict” bear wreaking havoc on personal property versus a bear leaning towards a “public safety” issue. Environmental Scientist Caitlin Roddy explained sometimes these issues overlap and create a “gray area.” All reports are taken seriously, and CDFW aims to contact the reporting party within 24 hours to resolve conflicts. Our local resident who sought the depredation permit for the “Pearl Street Bear” attested to their quick response with “kudos to CDFW” for their timely help. After the resident did everything humanly possible to resolve the issue, he called CDFW for a depredation permit as a last resort when the bear continued to return and break into his home. The entire street was past the “deterrent” stage of the game. Depredation permit inquiries begin with the Wildlife team asking: Did the resident leave trash cans outside, and is the property clean? Are bird feeders easily accessible? Do livestock, chicken coops, and beehives need better securing? Has fallen fruit been picked up from the ground? Is a bear-proof dumpster necessary? A depredation permit may be in order if the person has done a good job in prevention but still has repeated break-ins. After the game warden or other Wildlife specialist completes a site visit to inspect the damage, take pictures, and also confirm the animal claimed to be responsible is, in fact, a bear and not a raccoon or other form of wildlife, the information is relayed back to the biologist so they can issue a depredation permit for the bear to be trapped and euthanized. It should be noted the permit is reviewed on three different management levels before being issued. Roughly 40,000 bears roam the Golden State, and Roddy explained while many conflict calls originate from Placer and El Dorado counties, “not every permit is approved.” If approved, the biologist proceeds with outsourcing a trapper. Many counties have their own, and sometimes, as in the case of the “Pearl Street Bear,” the trapper is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each trapper adheres to certain strict policies, one being the trap must be on the property of the incident. They are not allowed to drive around and pick a more optimum location if the property is set up in a “weird way” or if they think the bear has moved on to a different property. Therefore, a bear often does not get trapped despite an issued permit. Sometimes, a trap is set, and thanks to better deterrents by the property owner, the bear becomes disinterested and has moved on. This is the type of happy ending everyone would like. But it is also not unheard of in these parts for snow to be a challenge in setting a trap in the proper location. Though CDFW does their best to have a description of the bear, including color (some bears are more reddish), size, and defining characteristics (injured paw), occasionally, the wrong bear is caught and has to be released and hazed outside the area. The timeline to use a permit is about a month or shorter, though special circumstances may extend the timeframe, such as snow melt delaying setting a trap, etc. However, Roddy explained, “extending permits increases the likelihood of getting the wrong animal.” Biologists will also issue “non-lethal” depredation permits, allowing the reporting party to increase hazing methods, including shooting a bear with paintballs, using airhorns, chasing it with a dog, and running the bear off with other noise makers. Interestingly, one previous Sierra County undersheriff was reminiscent of how, twenty years ago, this type of problem was handled a bit differently as it was common practice for him and the deputies to show up on-scene and haze bears with rubber bullets. He also recalled that 30-40 years ago, a massive amount of unleashed dogs roamed the streets of Downieville at all hours, and he is convinced their presence kept the bears at bay. I think he is on to something there. I had a gargantuan bear walk past me while I was barbequing last summer, but I believe my somewhat psycho German Shepherd in the house discourages potential intrusions. The former undersheriff’s final observation was that “bears opening car doors” has only been a problem over the last decade. Another oldtimer speculated that car doors are easier to open now, but either way, these beasts have learned to do it, and we need to be vigilant in keeping our doors locked lest your car is totaled, as was the unfortunate fate of the car belonging to The Mountain Messenger’s Owner/Publisher Carl Butz. After the complimentary insights into times long gone by this esteemed undersheriff, he posed a couple of questions my way. How do they handle bears in Tahoe? What happens to the meat after the bear is put down? Yes, the Tahoe area has numerous bears and conflicts, so let’s address the staffing at CDFW for Wildlife services in handling these issues. The Wildlife Team is a new team of six that didn’t exist a year ago, created to serve 17 counties in our North Central Region regarding all things wildlife, not just bears. Their tasks also involve deer population monitoring, managing land, and engaging local communities with hunting opportunities. Interceding with conflict animals and community members by issuing permits is just a small portion of what they do, adhering to the 2020 mountain lion, 2022 bear, and 2023 beaver policies, to name a few. Current policy calls for tracking, tagging, hazing, and collecting DNA samples of the bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This area hosts more conflict bears than the rest of the North Central Region combined. An array of political and social viewpoints from local and seasonal residents surrounding the bears are constant, along with many tourists passing through not having “the same stewardship mentality as the community.” Tahoe needed a new plan addressing their bear issues, and it is a work in progress. CDFW preaches the same effort in Tahoe to keep bears wild and continually educates communities on reducing “attractants” by storing pet food and BBQ grills properly and “deterrents”; hot wire for chicken coops, electric mats near crawl spaces, etc. This above-and-beyond effort for tracking and tagging is extremely labor intensive, as traps are set out for two weeks, with staff driving to check them morning and evening. Law enforcement is also commandeered to ensure public safety when a bear is caught for tracking purposes. The program may expand to other parts of the region when it becomes more affordable. Despite a bear being tagged and DNA collected, it doesn’t mean it will not bear the fate of a lethal depredation permit one day. Regarding the “meat” of a bear being put down, there were times long past when trappers were allowed to share the meat with food banks, friends, family, and fire departments — basically, not let the meat go to waste. Those days are, unfortunately, gone. Government regulations prohibit such good deeds under the premise of ensuring the health and safety of those who may get sick from… I’m not sure, tainted meat? In conclusion, we can do our part as a community to keep bears wild. As The Mountain Messenger awaits requested depredation permit statistics from CDFW, we leave the reader with the following contact information: 9-1-1: If you are in immediate danger, regardless of the reason. 916-358-2917 or seek assistance online at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir: To report wildlife conflicts such as property damage, observing a sickly animal, a deer with its antlers stuck in your fence, a bear with a trash can stuck around its neck, or any other concern about wildlife that is not a poaching or crime against wildlife issue. 1-888-334-CALTIP: Report poaching and crimes against wildlife anonymously. To learn more about attractants and deterrents and join an effort to keep bears wild, visit www.bearwise.org