For the week of August 21 - 27, 2002

Fish and Game defends shooting of black bear

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

The shooting of a young black bear Aug. 11 at Cathedral Pines Baptist Camp, north of Ketchum, could have been avoided if the bear had not been fed.

"We have a saying at Fish and Game that goes: A fed bear’s a dead bear," said Idaho Department of Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Dave Parrish. "I’m going to be blunt. If you want to place blame for this bear being destroyed, you’ve got to place it on the church camp. You don’t feed wildlife. There’s no good outcome from feeding wildlife."

Fish and Game Conservation Officer Lee Garwood dispatched the bear after it appeared to have lost its fear of humans. The 130-pound, sub-adult bear had been poking around the camp for most of the previous week, and was particularly attracted to its non-bear-proof garbage bins.

Efforts to trap the bear, and even corral the bear into the trap, were not successful.

Parrish pointed out that drugging the bear was not an option because of the approaching hunting seasons and Fish and Game policies.

Parrish said the bear showed up at the camp about three weeks ago and was fed scraps.

"We were left with the only option of destroying that bear," said Parrish, who authorized Garwood’s decision.

Fish and Game has been flooded with complaints following the Aug. 11 shooting, Parrish said. He pointed out that Fish and Game officers do not enjoy killing wildlife.

"Working for Fish and Game, I don’t know anyone who wants to destroy wildlife, but looking at the policies and the risk, that’s the only decision we were left with."

 

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