NEW MILFORD, Conn. (AP) – State officials say a New Milford homeowner shot and killed a bear in his yard because the animal appeared to be threatening him and his dog.
The state Department of Environmental Protection ruled Wednesday morning’s shooting justified because the man was in potential danger, and that no criminal charges will be pursued.
The man says he shot the bear when it stood on its hind legs and started toward him after encountering his sheepdog.
The black bear, which weighed between 150 and 200 pounds, had two cubs in a tree on the man’s property.
DEP officials say black bears usually are not confrontational. This bear may have become agitated if the dog was between her and the cubs, or between her and a nearby bird feeder.
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