A man who investigators said shot two female bears — one with two young cubs — has been ordered to pay about $1,000 in fines and court costs.
The shooter, La Plata County resident William R. Martin, pleaded guilty last week to harassment of wildlife in district court in Durango.
According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the two bears had been causing no problems last fall as they fed on acorns in scrub oak preparing for fall hibernation.
They had been seen by numerous residents — one of the females with her two cubs.
The cubs, born the previous spring, were probably too young to survive on their own, said DOW officer Cary Carron. Carron tried to find the cubs but was unable to locate them.
“It’s a shame. These bears were not causing anyone any problems,” said Carron. “There was absolutely no reason for these bears to be killed.”
Carron started the investigation after receiving a tip on Sept. 6, 2007, that Martin had been talking about killing two bears near his home in La Plata County.
The next day, another caller reported that he had found a dead bear on his property.
Investigators found the dead bear and then, with the help of an informant, located the second female bear, which also was dead.
In an interview on Nov. 29, 2007, Martin told Carron that he had shot over the bears to scare them off his property. He claimed that he didn’t think shotgun pellets would kill a bear.
Carron said it is illegal for people to kill wildlife just because they are on your property. If people are concerned about bears on their land, they should call the DOW for advice on how to haze the bears away.
Wildlife officials say that black bears — the only kind of bears that live in Colorado — are generally very timid animals and can be scared off easily.
If they are wounded, however, it is a different story.
“About the worst thing you can have around is a bear that’s been wounded,” said Carron. “That’s when they can become very dangerous.”
Martin originally was charged with five counts, including destruction of wildlife, two counts of illegal taking of wildlife and two counts of hunting without a proper and valid license.
Those charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
