In California the F&G has changed tactics. They have known for years that moving the bear just moves the problem. A bear that broke down fruit trees in Southern California foothills was moved to the top of the Serria's thirty air miles from Lake Tahoe. It broken into a resturant, after hitting all the garbage bins and had to be destroyed. It was one big fat boar who had grown fat on fruit. Another fat bear was moved into the mountains and killed a bunch of sheep. I heard the State may have been sued over that one.
Moving a bear does not do a lot of good. Many of our bears have a 100-mile range depending on the food source. In a campground they range from one garbage can to the next. Ice chest and cars are a oppertunities for a foraging bear.
I understand the F&G tries and get the property owner to put down problem bears. They are not willing to take the heat from the do gooders. So they entrap the good guy into be coming the bad guy by issueing a permit, and then let them take the heat from the do gooders. Not that the wardens are bad guys, just under manned, in a highly political issue. They just took a lot of heat after killing river otters that had attacked a number of swimmers. A lot of people claim the swimmers are invading the otters home. They are to dum to realize that the lake is a man made impoundment approximately 30 years old.
A few years back a young mountain lion was capture in a tree in Auburn, CA. The young cat was moved to a remote location in Yuba County. The cat had a radio collar on it. After release in travelled across the Scramento Valley to the West side. After killing some sheep it had to be killed. Managers were suprised how far it travelled in a short time. I just had a memory flash. In the area the young lion was dropped off a home owner had had a problem with lions killing her goats. This resulted in two lions being killed. I wonder if the goat killing lions had been dropped into that are by the F&G.
I again repeat myself from earlier post. I would like to see them realease these lions and bears in Gold Gate Park, other Bay Area and Los Angeles area parks and areas such as Topanga Canyon, Bell Canyon, Muhholland Drive and Sylvia Park. Let the people who pass the propositions stopping the hunting of lions and limiting the already limited bear huntin in California live with the problems they have created. Just think the critters could take care of the booming deer, and wild pig populations in some of these areas.
Years ago a recreationist and his family were flagged down by a non-English speaking individual. He was all bloody and carrying a lever action rifle.(I am amazed they stopped.) From what they understood from his sign language was that he had killed somebody with his rifle and buried them. The recreationist made a direct trip into town and reported the incident. The sheriffs department got out the SWAT team and the area was closed off. The SWAT team found one shook-up sheep herder, who killed a bear which killed a large number of sheep for fun. The sheep herder was bloodied from giving first aid to some of the sheep. He had buried the bear, but thought he better report it.
