Wild video from the west shore of Lake Tahoe where a father resorted to using bear spray when confronted with an aggressive black bear on the 4th of July.
Cortlandt Koerwitz was packing coolers in his garage with his daughter at his Tahoma home when a black bear showed up and began rummaging through their garbage cans. Koerwitz daughters told him the bear approached them rather than fleeing which would have been the normal response from the bear.
Koerwitz keeps a can of bear spray in his garage and he grabbed it before walking out to confront the bear. The bear charged him and he was ready for it. Koerwitz was quick with the trigger on the bear spray and used it effectively, delivering a cloud of aerosolized capsaicin mist directly into the snout of the bear.
While this was the first time Koerwitz encountered an aggressive bear at his Lake Tahoe home, it was the not the first encounter. Here is another video of bears showing up at his garage from summer 2024:
All of the Lake Tahoe Basin is bear country and residents are asked to do their part to prevent negative encounters. This includes using bear-resistant garbage cans, keeping your home locked and not leaving attractants around your property like bird feeders or beehives.
How To Keep Tahoe Bears Wild
Use bear-resistant garbage cans. Bear-resistant garbage cans and containers are needed in bear country. Additionally, store garbage in a secure building or enclosure and always wait to put garbage out until the morning of collection. Contact your local waste management company to learn about various types of bear-resistant garbage cans, bear boxes and receptacles. There may also be incentive programs to offset costs of the purchase.
Close windows and lock your home. Keep doors, garage doors and windows closed and locked when your home is not occupied. Reduce the potential for hibernation under structures by blocking access to sites, such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings. Be sure to lock the doors and close the windows of your cars too!
Keep bears away from neighborhoods. Prevention is key. Fruit trees, hanging bird feeders and beehives are sure to bring bears to the neighborhood. Manage all food attractants around the home and encourage neighbors to do the same. Never leave pet food, beverages, coolers or other attractants on your porch, deck or in your car. A dirty barbecue grill will also entice a bear to visit. Keep grills clean and stored when not in use.
If a bear does come around your home, suggested methods for deterring the bear include yelling, clapping your hands, or making other noise to convince the bear that neighborhoods are not fun! Only do so if you are a safe distance from the bear and never block a bear’s escape route. Never corner a bear. Individual bears display varying levels of tolerance to humans and each situation is unique.
