Rancher kills persistent bear after failing to scare it away in Garfield County

PANGUITCH — The number of bears that have been shot by concerned campers and homeowners continues to grow as another bear was shot this week north of Bryce Canyon National Park at John's Canyon.

The same 300-pound male black bear had been spotted at the private ranch in Garfield County five times in the days prior to the shooting, said Lynn Chamberlain, conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

The landowner chased the bear away twice Monday night, once after it was seen rummaging through garbage cans and again when it was caught eating grain from sacks located in the back of a pickup truck. Chamberlain said that while it is common for bears to "take whatever's easy" when it comes to food, the recent weather should have provided them with plenty.

"It's a little surprising, considering the wet spring and good weather," he said. "It should have provided enough food for the bears to keep them away from campgrounds and homes."

Chamberlain said this bear did more than just search for food, as it later appeared at the front door of the home and outside a window.

"It seems it was after more than just the garbage," he said. "It was being very unconcerned about there being people there and it was 1 in the morning. That's fairly hair-raising."

The owner tried several methods to scare the bear away, including trying to chase it away with guns and dogs, before he eventually shot it.

The number of bear shootings this year has been "really high," Chamberlain said. "I really have no explanation for it."

— Emiley Morgan