Posted on 04/09/2013 10:38:04 AM PDT by george76
A 76-year-old man from Auburn, Mass. says a bear was about to kill him when it entered his backyard recently, so he took his gun, aimed it, and fired. He killed the bear, but now the senior citizen and military vet is facing charges because he apparently didnt possess the right gun permit.
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I question the notion that a black bear in Massachusetts is a threat to human life. It is extremely rare that it’s necessary to shoot an eastern black bear. What’s the backstory here?
:: pulls out copy of Constitution ::
....the right to bear arms shall not be abridged....
Now, the bear is dead. He can have his bear arms. Case settled.
Good Lord, I despise this state.
Heck, in Florida a man charges you you can shoot him dead. Mass is one whacked out state. Get out while you can.
“Better to be judged by twelve, than buried by six.”
or chewed up by one.
'or chewed up by one.'
Yes. Indeed. In more ways than one.
i question your sanity.
That’s the obamacare bear. He arrives to all homes of senior citizens who have reached the age of 70. The bear is part of an alliance with the Sierra club in exchange for an affordable healthcare act waiver. He is the cost containment bear meant to cap costs thru a heart attack or mauling until dead.
I question the sanity of a guy spreading bird seed all over his land, who’s surprised when a bear shows up, claims to feel mortally threatened, so he goes inside to retrieve a gun, and then goes outside again.
I question his story that this was about his safety, when it was clearly about his convenience.
Also, I question your experience with black bears in the wild.
Done.
Fatal attacks by black bears in the wild, esp. in the Eastern US, are extremely rare. Fewer than one per decade on average.
Blacks are not dangerous. In the wild they almost always avoid humans. In fact, it’s pretty hard for your average hiker or camper to find one even if he is being recklessly irresponsible about cooking and waste disposal.
“Feral” does not mean what you seem to think it means.
The gun charge against the guy in Mass. is BS. But he acted like a jerk.
It’s not just back east. In CO, a neighbor of ours kept having repeat visits by a bear, each one more brazen than the last. Dept Wildlife shrugged their shoulders when the guy called to ask for assistance.
After the bear followed them into the home, the guy shot him. Called DOW and they were out in 30 minutes. The guy narrowly escaped being charged because DOW said the bear was running away when he shot it. I think if he hadn’t called the DOW on that earlier incident he would’ve been in some real trouble.
Go figure.
As another FReeper pointed out, this was discussed on a thread yesterday.
The man lives in a suburb of Worchester, MA. The town of Auburn has a population of 15K. It is probably 40 miles west of downtown Boston. This is not out in the country. He almost certainly has other houses within 500’ of his.
He went out to fill his bird feeder. There was a bear in his back yard. It chased him. He went out a second time to fill the feeder. This time he was armed with his shotgun. He shot and killed the bear.
So, he scared the bear and shot it in the back when there was no danger, they say. And now with the new CO law, they'll limit the size of the magazines he gets to use against bears (or Homo-primates) in the confines of his own home.
Black bears bluff charge all the time. It’s what they do. This bear most likely had been habituated to food set out by careless homeowners who need to make up their minds if they want to live in a rural area or a manicured suburb, and then adjust their behavior accordingly. Any homeowner who knows there are bears prowling about and persists in setting out food is reckless — endangering himself, others, and inevitably the bear. A fed bear is a dead bear.
If this homeowner lives in an incorporated town with other residences close by, it is reckless and possibly unlawful to be discharging a firearm unless his life is threatened. Being pestered by a bear lured onto your property because you baited your backyard is not a threat to life. It’s an inconvenience. I think the guy’s a jerk.
Finally: in bear country there are frequently laws against setting out food or trash that will attract bears to populated areas. Just saying.
Agreed, most towns around here in southern NH advise you to take down your bird feeders this time of year to keep nuisance bears from trashing your bird feeders after they come out of hibernation.
Also, most towns/states have a law about discharging a firearm within 500’ of another residence. I believe this is why the guy is in trouble.
Trying.....
Works for home invading thugs, too.
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