Posted on 09/04/2007 9:38:08 AM PDT by george76
The commotion started about a quarter to seven, as Tiffany Barnes dressed for a day of beauty school. It would take 22 hours, a shotgun blast and a dead black bear before her Moore Haven neighborhood would feel safe again.
Missy, the Jack Russell terrier, whimpered and growled at Tiffany's feet on Thursday morning. She pulled her curtain back and looked into the back yard.
Clear as the sunrise, she saw one of her father's puppies, the one she called Lucius, hanging from the mouth of an enormous black bear.
Lucius was gone. His litter mate, the one Tiffany called Asisaly, lay dead with her skin ripped away. Under the bushes lay Sam Barnes' faithful Catahoula Leopard dog, the best hog-hunting dog he'd ever owned. It was eviscerated.
"I've never seen my dad cry until that bear took his dog," said Tiffany Barnes, 18. "He was my dad's best friend."
State wildlife officials believe the bear killed five pets on the outskirts of Moore Haven in Glades County this week. They set a trap and planned to euthanize the animal. But a hail of buckshot cut short the bear's final meal early Friday morning.
Dennis Griffin, Barnes' neighbor, turned his shotgun on the bear after losing his second hunting dog in four days, state wildlife officials said. Fearing reprisals from environmentalists, Griffin said he didn't want to talk about the incident.
Florida black bears are a threatened species. A spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that because shooting them is a third-degree felony, information on the incident would be passed along to the state attorney's office. It was undecided whether charges would be filed against Griffin.
(Excerpt) Read more at palmbeachpost.com ...
It was a dark and stormy night. The Bulwer Lytton Bad Writing Contest was approaching. Could the intrepid journalist come up with an badly over-written entry in time? Bears growling in the wilderness hinted at an affirmative answer.
relocate the bears to Palm Beach County
Actually the State Fish and Game head quarters would be better. :>)
Everyone who does not live around moore haven needs to mind their own DAMN business, my father had a right to shot that bear because not only is a show steer housed next to those dog pens where the bear could have likely killed it, but I have a son, who stays over there during the day, while i'm working. and fish and game was notified and they came and investigated put traps out and were there to take the bear away when it was killed. Nobody baited that stupid bear. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT before you guys start accusing someone because of something he did right
The neighbors seemed happy too.
Oddly enough-—the locals were relieved the bear was dead, while the distant liberal bear-huggers crowed about baiting conspiracies.
This black bear should be given the Michael Vick Award, posthumously.
after reading all the stupid comments about wrong turn rednecks and " you are idiots" remarks I think that the next time a bear comes around they are some folks who should be fed to the damm thing
and
*************
Good for him. I would have done the same.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.