Black bear killed after stalking Black Butte

Black Butte Ranch personnel tracked and killed a large black bear (Ursus americanus) after it made several destructive nocturnal visits at several golf course homes at the ranch last week.

Dale Larsen, maintenance manager at the ranch, said that the bear had been "tearing things up," rummaging through garbage cans and dumpsters and knocking over outside barbecues and bird feeders at several homes. The golf pro shop was also damaged one evening during the bear's visit.

The rogue bear returned Saturday night, November 20, to some of the Golf Homes at BBR and damaged garage doors and bird feeders while searching for food.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) brought a live trap out on Sunday morning but with no success in trapping the bear.

The bear was in the Glaze Meadow area Sunday night. At one home, the garage door was opened by the bear and a bag of dog food was taken.

Because of the threat to human life and property the Oregon Fish and Wildlife issued authorization to kill the bear.

Jeff Kessel and Dale Larsen, from BBR, tracked the bear paw prints in the snow on Monday afternoon.

Kessel had a legal bear hunting tag.

Finally, the bear was shot off BBR property to the west of Glaze Meadow at about 2:30 p.m.

Estimates at the scene described the male bear as weighing 375-400 pounds.

"It's the largest black bear I've ever seen," reported Dale Larsen.