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Tahoe bear shot and killed on Memorial Day in self defense, some skeptical

A yearling bear was shot and killed near South Lake Tahoe on Memorial Day, May 27.
Provided / Stephanie Yamkovenko

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division have filed no charges against a homeowner who shot and killed a yearling bear after it entered his house through a backdoor on Memorial Day. The department received notification of the incident around 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 27.

“You have the right to protect yourself while an animal enters your home,” Peter Tira, information officer with the department says, “It’s not a crime to defend your home from a wild animal that enters it.”

According to the department, after the homeowner shouted, made noises and waived his arms, “The bear didn’t budge.” They say it began huffing and advancing towards the man’s dog. That’s when the homeowner retreated to his bedroom and grabbed his 22 rifle. He returned to his living room, where, Tira says, the man shot the bear twice in the house.



The 75-85 pound yearling then ran out of the house, and climbed a tree, but reportedly soon fell out of the tree, and, Tira says, “appeared to be suffering given its two gunshot wounds and fall, so the homeowner felt compelled to euthanize the bear to end its suffering.” The homeowner fired a third shot and called 911.

However, some are skeptical of the homeowner’s actions leading up to the shooting and the corroborated story.



“The bear was just being a bear,” Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League said.

Neighbors who witnessed the incident saw the bear sleeping in a tree prior to the incident. They observed the bear climb down the tree and approach their neighbor’s backdoor. “It seemed like the bear was being curious,” the neighbor, Bogdan Yamkovenko told the Tribune, “trying to see if [it] could get in the house, potentially get some food.”

But from Yamkovenko’s vantage point from his deck, the bear’s behavior seemed explorative and not threatening. “The bear wasn’t breaking in. Like, there was none of that,” Yamkovenko noted the door didn’t appear to be secure, “so either it was cracked open or completely open.”

“We can preach until we’re blue in the face,” Bryant says, “if you don’t want bears coming in your house, close and lock the doors and windows.”

Bryant adds, “If he lives here and been here as long as he has, [he] certainly knows that you don’t leave your door open.”

According to the wildlife officers, Tira says the door was closed, “To what degree it was securely latched or locked, I don’t know.”

The department did not provide the shooter’s identity, only that the shooting happened off of Pioneer Trail Road. However, neighbors claim the shooter has lived in the Tahoe region for decades.

“We can forgive some of the tourists and short-term rental people, and visitors, and vacationers,” Bryant says, “They don’t know.” But the shooter, Bryant says, “they had to have known that you don’t do that.” 

Certain elements of the corroborated story are different from what neighbors Yamkovenko and his wife said they saw. Although according to the department, the shooter shot the bear in his house first, Yamkovenko says he didn’t hear the first shot until the bear was outside. “The bear was already spooked and the shot came after he was running.”

Yamkovenko said he was outside eating lunch when the incident occurred.

“We’re very close to his house,” the neighbor says, “That rifle, you can hear it pretty well.”

He says over the estimated 15-30 seconds this unfolded, the bear never went entirely in house. At the bear’s deepest point into the house, Yamkovenko says he could see the bear from its rear paws and back sticking out of the door.

This bear wasn’t new to the neighborhood. Yamkovenko has seen the yearling multiple times throughout the week. In one instance he shooed the bear away. “He did what every bear does, right? He arched his back and hissed at me and then climbed up the tree because he was scared,” Yamkovenko describes.

Bryant with the league says many of these juveniles are around the basin right now as they disperse from their mothers. “We see them a lot and they’re just trying to get their feet on the ground,” she says as they learn to get by without their mothers.

She explains they are often active in the daytime since they are scared of the larger bears that are out at night. “We just have to have a little bit of patience with them and understand this is what they’re going through. They’ll catch on.”

Both Bryant and Yamkovenko believe there could have been better alternatives to shooting the 75-85 pound yearling. “You could have kicked it with your foot,” Yamkovenko says, “you know, we’re not talking about a large bear, my dog is heavier than that, right?”

Bryant says the bear likely could have been scared away, “He didn’t deserve to die.”

To report human-bear conflicts or bear health concerns:

  • In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
  • Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to their public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
  • In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
  • If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

The Bear League also has a hotline (530) 525-PAWS, which is staffed 365 days a year 24 hours a day, is available to help anyone who has a problem with a bear. “We will respond whether the bear is there or has gone or we are happy to coach people over the phone,” their website says.


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