Second bear attack in Lincoln County, hunter shoots and kills animal he says charged at him

A 25-year-old Capitan man shot and killed a charging bear while looking for shed antlers in the Lincoln National Forest. The man was not injured by the bear. He reported Thursday evening that he was searching for antlers in the forest between Carrizozo and Capitan when he encountered the bear as he came over the top of a hill. He told officers that the bear charged and he shot it with his .30-30 caliber rifle from about 10 yards away. Department of Game and Fish Officers investigated the incident and recovered the carcass of the bear, an adult female, early Friday morning. No evidence indicated the presence of cubs. Referring to the man who shot the bear, Game and Fish Cpl. Curtis Coburn said, "Based on a thorough review of the scene, I believe he had little or no choice but to take the action that he did." The incident was the second this week in which bears were surprised by people searching for shed antlers. Monday, a 55-year-old man was scratched and bitten by a bear about 30 miles from the area of Thursday's incident. Officials said it is unlikely the same bear was involved in both encounters...more