Michigan Man Shoots Bear For Entering Property, Animal Euthanized After Sustaining Spinal Injury

An injured bear was euthanized after being shot by a man for getting too close to his property. The incident took place at Alcona County, Northern Michigan.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources had recently responded to a report of an injured bear. When officials arrived at the scene, they found that the bear was paralyzed.

The injured animal was located on private property and officials from DNR discovered that the bear had been shot and could only use its front legs.

Jesse Grzechowski, an officer from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources found and humanely euthanized the bear.

Conservation Officer Jeff Panich helped initiate a necropsy of the bear to identify the cause of the severe injury. It was found that the bear had sustained two bullet injuries. One of them had penetrated through its spinal column, leading to paralysis.

Meanwhile, the man responsible for the shooting reportedly approached the officers and told them that he had shot two bears as they had gotten too close to his home.

After further investigation, it was determined that the bear had managed to drag itself about approximately 150 yards away from the scene after being shot.

“A property owner in the area arrived on scene and advised he shot the bear. The conservation officers conducted interviews and determined the landowner shot at two bears with a .22 caliber rifle the night before, which had come on the property and into his garage,” stated a report from DNR.

The man, whose identity was not revealed, used to actively feed turkeys on his property which might have attracted the bears.

“Charges are being sought through the Alcona County Prosecutor’s Office for taking a bear out of season,” the report mentioned.

In a similar incident that took place last year, a man had shot and killed a bear, suspecting that the animal was trying to enter his house in Colorado. Another resident in the area discovered the body of the bear at the base of a tree and located her cubs peering down at their mother from the branches above. Two of the cubs were captured and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility following the incident.