No Charges for Man Who Shot, Killed Bear in Yard

A Merrimack resident who shot and killed a black bear in his Wilson Hill Road yard will not face charges, but a conservation officer with New Hampshire Fish and Game said other methods could have likely been used to shoo the bear away that wouldn't have resulted in its death.

The incident happened on Friday, April 19, in which a 100- to 200-pound male bear was shot and later died, Conservation Officer Todd Szewczyk said. He said the bear was located about 300 yards from the property two days later, but it's believed the bear died just a short time after he was shot.

Szewczyk said an investigation was conducted and the man who shot the bear was justified in his actions as he was protecting his property. The bear had already killed his rabbit and was attempting to get into the chicken coop when the resident shot it, Szewczyk said.

"Although what he did was legal, we do encourage people not to shoot them. We suggested to him that in the future he take other methods, use other scare tactics, to shoo a bear from the yard," Szewczyk said. "And he was receptive to that."

Szewczyk reminded residents that the bears are out and actively seeking food. It's important, to keep from attracting bears to your yard by taking in bird feeders and keeping trash cans tightly sealed or better yet, inside a garage or shed. Do not put meat scraps in your compost and do not leave pet food dishes outside overnight.

For the latest bear sightings in Merrimack, check out our 2013 bear map, which was last updated Monday morning.

Szewcyzk also reminded residents that there are laws around shooting wildlife, and procedures to follow if you do.

"Just because you see an animal in your yard doesn't mean you can shoot it," Szewcyzk said.

That said, if you take a measure as this resident did to protect your property (covered in RSA 207:26-30) it must be reported. He said this resident called police following the incident and the Merrimack Police forwarded the case to him.

He went out to investigate the incident on April 20 and the investigation has since been closed. The bear meat was donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank.

Above is a new brochure on the Fish and Game website specifically about protecting chickens from bear encounters. It can also be found here.

Bears are generally non-confrontational and can easily be scared away by loud clapping, talking or other noises, according to Fish and Game's web tips regarding bears.

For more information regarding living harmoniously with New Hampshire's black bears, visit wildnh.com.