Wardens Preparing Formal Complaint in Fatal Shooting of Bear Yearling

Wardens were preparing a formal complaint Monday against a man who fatally shot an 80- to 100-pound yearling black bear rummaging through trash in a pickup truck near the Forest Falls post office last week, a Fish and Game spokesman said.

The man, whose name had not been released, will be cited for misdemeanor unlawful taking of a bear, because the wardens found the shooting was unjustified, Fish and Game wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan said in a phone interview.

"I just spoke to one of the wardens and they're going ahead to file their complaint," Brennan said Monday afternoon.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies were called to a home in the 9000 block of Marcy Road just after 2 a.m. Thursday. They found the bear shot dead and called Fish and Game.

Wardens determined two men were outside the home when a mother bear and two yearlings were attracted by garbage in the open bed of a pickup truck, Brennan said. The men chased the bears away but the bears returned.

One of the men used a bolt-action, .308-caliber hunting rifle to shoot the yearling bear, Brennan said. The man told wardens he was scared the bear would harm his friend, Brennan said.

Bears as small as 20 pounds can be dangerous to humans, Brennan said.

"If you get close to one or attempt to handle one you're asking for trouble," Brennan said.

Nevertheless, wardens determined killing of the bear was unlawful, Brennan said.

"Most bear problems can be traced to improper storage of garbage, and this is a glowing example of that," Brennan said. "It's 100 percent preventable. You either use a bear-proof trash can or store your garbage in a shed, garage or basement."

The man will be cited for unlawful taking of a bear and for violating a county ordinance for improper trash storage, Brennan said. The wardens' complaint will be filed with the San Bernardino County District Attorney.

Forest Falls in Mill Creek Canyon is about 10 miles north of Banning and Beaumont, on the north side of Yucaipa Ridge. Black bears are common in the mountains on both sides of the San Gorgonio Pass.