A 700-pound black bear dubbed Bubba has been living large on Lake Tahoe’s shores:
The bear has broken into at least 50 homes in search of food the past year, causing more than $70,000 of damage, and leaving stinky, basketball-size deposits as his calling card.
In fact, bears are causing all kinds of trouble these days:
Across California and Nevada, last year’s harsh winter forced bears across California and Nevada down from the mountains in search of food.
In May, Mr. Lackey says one bear killed eight sheep and goats in a single incident in Carson City, Nev. That same month, he says, another bear broke into a garage in Gardnerville, Nev., and got stuck in a Mercedes, surprising the car’s owner when he found the vehicle occupied the next morning.
And in July in Yosemite National Park, bears caused $67,915 of damage in just one week by raiding parking lots, campgrounds and other areas, according to the National Park Service. In comparison, last year bears caused only an average of $1,500 in damage per week.
At Lake Tahoe, Mr. Lackey and other biologists have killed 13 bears so far this year, triple the normal average by August. Bubba, double the size of the average adult black bear, has proven remarkably elusive.
Some of Bubba’s exploits and escapes are the stuff of legend. In one incident in mid-2009, a bear matching Bubba’s description confronted a frightened homeowner, who told officials that he shot the bear between the eyes with a .44 Magnum. The bullet apparently bounced off the bear’s skull, leaving him wounded but still alive, Mr. Lackey says.
Oh, bother!
A powerful rifle is superior to any handgun in killing power, shooter Chuck Hawks says, but if you’re going to carry a handgun for protection against bears, he recommends a Ruger Blackhawk revolver (6.5″ barrel) in .357 or .41 Magnum, or a Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver (5.5″ or 7.5″ barrel) in .44 Magnum. He may have to revise his recommendation upward.
For years, the Alaskan Fish and Game cautioned hikers that the minimum firearm defense against a bear is a .357 with a six inch barrel. Of course, they should also recommend certain bullets since that gun will handle everything from frangible bullets used by air marshalls (e.g. Glaser Silver Safety Slug Ammunition, .38 Special, 80 Grain) up to 200-grain hunting loads.
Happy hiking!