Darted bear drowns in Nevada
By Jeff DeLong, Reno Gazette-Journal
A black bear drowned Monday after it was tranquilized by wildlife officials and then ran into a pond in Dayton and slipped beneath the water, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
The bear, an 8-year-old, 300-pound male, was reported to be wandering through the Dayton Valley Golf Club Monday evening, department spokesman Chris Healy said.
Golf >Bear
Bears wander around South Shore neighborhoods all the time, every week, with plenty of people in close proximity, with no problems or danger other than some spilled trash on occasion. Why would NDOW want to tranquilize a bear wandering around on a golf course, at night, and risk a problem of NDOW’s own creation, which most clearly happened here.
Some folks solution to the the-people and their trash being left out for the bears eating is to kill the bear. Some people just chhose to shoot the bear. Their answer is to shoot the bear getting into their trash that they left out trash lazily and not secured for the bear to get into. It’s not a bear problem it’s a people- trash- bear problme., There are better ways to co-exist with wildlife other than killing the bear.
Take care of the bears, OLS
Carl Lackey really ought to think about changing careers. With the failure rate he’s been achieving this summer he would be more suited to a job that those that fail 70% of the time are considered the best in the business. Such as baseball or meteorologist.
well, let’s seee here…….bear is trying to get to it’s refuge by taking shortcut through golf course. now this is technically trespassing therfore bear must be apprehended by local barney fife and his gomer and goober deputies. bear drowns according to the script and thus mayberry is safe from feroooocius bear. seems reasonable to NDOW. defense rests!
This most recent development in NDOW’s summer of death is blatantly a case of disregard for any sort of professional decorum or action plan implementation. Once again the total lack of even attempting basic black bear aversion methods employed by a vast majority of agencies handling bear management here in the US and Canada as a first step is mind boggling. Trapping and tranquilizing, let alone euthanizing, should always be the last resort after all other options are played out. Under Carl Lackey’s supervision it seems that NDOW’s only policy is to storm in with guns ablaze, and a devil may care attitude. That vision sounds nice in a 1940’s western, but doesn’t play in the 21st century with the information that actual degree holding behavioral research biologists have brought to the table as it pertains to wildlife management over the last twenty years. Carl Lackey’s lack of any biology degree is showing. Time and again. Yet he still holds the title of Nevada State Biologist.
It’s time that we put NDOW’s feet to the fire and turn up the flame! And maybe, just maybe, someone that oversees NDOW will take notice and come to the conclusion that holding NDOW to a higher standard of operating procedures and professionalism will not only benefit wildlife, but will also create a safer environment for we humans that live in coexistence with wildlife.
U people responding don’t understand whole story. Typical.
Here is a bit more info
NDOW says it got a call from the Dayton Valley golf course Monday morning about a bear wandering on the 16th fairway, but the agency told course reps to keep an eye on the animal allowing it to move towards more natural habitat. But, instead they got another phone call stating that the bear wandered under a deck of one of the homes.
Two Lyon County Deputies responded, and NDOW says the decision was made to sedate the eight-year-old bear due to the nearby populated area, that included school children.
Jay, we here on the South Shore had a sow and three cubs wander on to South Tahoe High School day before yesterday. Staff quickly and easily dispatched them into the adjoining forest. This isn’t rocket science, it’s basic bear management. So it’s my take away that:
A) those first responders have had absolutely no training from the state agency tasked with wildlife management and educational programs aimed at the public, or NDOW, on basic bear management practices in the field.
B) NDOW could have easily and speedily achieved the goal of walking the bear off had they responded prudently to the original call and used basic bear aversion tactics to walk it off, especially easily done with a bear in the open. But no, NDOW chose not to act until, in your words Jay, “the decision was made to sedate the eight-year-old bear due to the nearby populated area, that included school children.”
Jay, what you dont understand is NDOW does not protect wildlife, they murder it. Why can Southshore coexhist with bears but Nevada cant? Carl Lackey is kill happy. He needs to be fired, demoted, or replaced. People in Nevada need to stop calling NDOW with their bear issues!
We don’t coexist with bears on the South Shore, we are simply ignoring what is soon to become a major problem. It’s only a matter of time for that sow and her cubs, someone has been feeding them and they have zero fear. Although we have never kept trash, food or similar items in our garage, she has several times come running AS I OPENED THE DOOR. One of her cubs would have been squished as I quickly pushed the button again, were it not for the safety sensor. THIS IS NOT NORMAL OR OK BEAR BEHAVIOR. Wake up and stop pretending that we aren’t making this worse over here. Why can’t you focus this zealotry on an animal that actually needs protecting?
Wow! Walking Mom! Not normal bear behavior. Give me your address and I’ll bring an animal to your house that will mark your territory and keep the sow away. Also, collect dog and human hair and spread it around the edge of the property. (animals do not like the smell of humans). Sometimes you have to let the animal know that you are claiming your territory. Once, an old sow started pushing on our sliding glass door. We went to the top deck and clocked that bear in the head with a giant work boot. Worked perfectly. Never happened again in over 20 years.
Wildlife Biologist rule number one…”Never dart an animal in a place that is dangerous to the animal”…..what were they thinking?
I can assure you Isee that my property is well marked by my dogs. I’m not fearful of the bears, and short of her coming through my window, I wouldn’t call anyone to deal with her. However I think that some of us need to admit that these bears are more people friendly than is normal. That she would come running at the sound of a door opening is pretty scary, for unaware people as well as for what it says about the future of her cubs. We need to be finding ways to get them out of the most populated areas and back where they belong. It’s silly to say that you care about their well being and that this is an acceptable behavior at the same time. WE ALL CARE and that is the point.
Riduculous.