Man who claimed self-defense is convicted of killing 3 bears

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Man who claimed self-defense is convicted of killing 3 bears

Updated 2:43 pm, Friday, January 29, 2016

ANDOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man who said he shot a mother bear and her two cubs on his property to defend his family has been convicted of illegally killing them.

Robert Ehling, 76, of Sparta, was also found guilty Thursday of a weapons offense. Municipal Court Judge James Devine, who said Ehling committed "acts of a vigilante," also ordered him to pay more than $4,000 in penalties, the New Jersey Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1PYPwrt ).

The judge said there was no indication that even a game warden or police officer would have had the right to shoot the bears. Devine said Ehling "became the aggressor" when he opened fire on the bears on his back deck in 2014.

"There was no provocation," Devine said. "He wasn't being threatened by these bears."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Man-convicted-of-killing-3-bears-on-his-property-6793252.php

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[center]

"Bob Ehling on the balcony where he shot a bear last October as
it pawed at the sliding glass door behind which his wife was sitting." [/center]

[matt819]

1. Good

Door is closed and bear is outside. That's not a threat. I've had the same thing. When the bears are bored, they leave. In the meantime, they're a joy to watch. It's a shame that people like this have such contempt of the natural world.

[wordpix]

9. +1000 and if you live in bear country, keep your outside clean of garbage

Bears do not scratch on doors unless they're smelling something great inside.

[Sunlei]

15. no bird feeders either,bears get very used to making rounds for the easy feed.

[MariaThinks]

2. another fool and killer with a gun.

[jpak]

3. Hope they take his guns

Shooting cubs?

sickfuck

yup

[restorefreedom]

5. +1000 nt

[passiveporcupine]

4. I understand his fear and desire to protect his family

Because bears have broken into homes. But mostly they are curious and easily scared off when they realize there is someone there, or a barking dog. I had a cub outside my backdoor two years ago, after the mom wiped out all my bird feeders and ripped my trash barrel to shreds on trash day. I had no inclination to shoot the bears, even though they were being destructive. Unfortunately they were shot by orchardists near me (I hear the rifle shots and never saw the bears again) because they were destroying trees in the orchards.

It is kind of scary to have an animal as big as a bear right outside a sliding glass door...scratching on the door. But instead of shooting, he could have yelled and banged pots together, and called the cops for help.

Why are so many people so scared they need guns to protect them. My dogs have always been enough protection for me.

[JudyM]

6. I can't help but think people shoot in this kind of situation because they can. They've spent money

on the gun and here's a reasonable chance to use it.

Or maybe just hugely fearful => Not a good candidate for a gun license.

[passiveporcupine]

7. I'm going with the hugely fearful on this one n/t

[wordpix]

8. +1000 and story about a bear 20' from my deck

I live in a condo in a semi-rural area. The condo property is adjacent to a 4000 ac. nature preserve. I have a compost site at the edge of the property away from the bldgs and one day I took my pail of compost from the kitchen and set it on my deck. I got busy with other things and forgot about the compost for a few hours and then remembered I had to take it to my compost pile. While retrieving the compost, I heard a huffing noise and there close by was a brown bear, probably one to two years old. He was big but not huge. I grabbed the pail pronto and the bear did not follow me to the compost pile.

Point is, there is probably a smell of food that drew the bears. Food left out for pets or trash would do it.

I only one time had a bear come up on my deck to tear down my bird feeder.

This gunner is a murderer IMO. If a bear is coming to scratch at his glass door, he must keep a garbage-y house.

[JudyM]

10. So you think it was just to use the gun, rather than actually fear?

Good story, glad you weren't hurt. Kind of scary.

[Dont call me Shirley]

11. Momma and Cubs...

Robert, you coward!

[JoeyT]

12. He might have stood a chance

if he hadn't shot the cubs too. He could've lied about the mother bear threatening him, but it's kind of hard to do that with the cubs.

[Chemisse]

13. Another coward with a gun.

It must be tough to live with such fear all the time.

[Sunlei]

14. big bear can rip down a sliding glass door but he shouldn't have shot the cubs.