A Lake Tahoe vacation took a sharp turn on Wednesday when a Sacramento man says a black bear charged him outside his Tahoma vacation home, and he stopped the animal with a blast of bear spray. The close call, which he says was caught on camera, left him temporarily blinded by overspray but otherwise unhurt, and has become one more cautionary tale about what happens when food and trash are left easy for bears to reach around the lake.
Courtlandt Koerwitz told KCRA that his daughter first spotted the bear after it had gotten into a garbage can in the garage. He said he went to check the garage with bear spray in hand and fired when the bear rushed him; the spray stopped the animal but also misted into his face. Video Koerwitz provided to the station shows the bear moving toward the garage just before he deploys the spray.
“This kind of aggressive behavior is unusual,” Koerwitz told KCRA. He said he hopes the scare pushes visitors and homeowners to secure garbage, keep food out of cars and stay alert in bear country. Koerwitz added that the overspray hit his eyes when he pulled the trigger but that the bear took off from the property after being sprayed.
Why bears are moving into neighborhoods
Wildlife officials have warned that warmer temperatures and a low snowpack can shorten growing seasons and push black bears to look for other food sources in towns and campsites, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says bears may turn to human food when natural options are scarce, and the agency has urged Lake Tahoe residents and visitors to strip away attractants such as grills, pet food and unsecured trash. Officials say keeping windows and doors locked and using bear‑resistant containers are key steps to cutting down on conflicts…