Grape Eating Native American Bears Shot
First, it was Nazi Raccoons, now it’s Native American Bears in the spotlight over the destruction of vineyards. In the Pope Valley, just 18 miles east of the Silverado Trail on the east side of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, vineyard owners have fought back and had the Bears shot and killed by local authorities.
Aetna Springs winery owner Paul Maroon led the fight.
“They damage the fences on a daily basis almost faster than we can repair them,” Maroon said. “The damaged fences allow the deer to enter. The bear eat the grapes, as do the deer, and they both damage the vines, sometimes killing 12-, 13-year-old vines.”
Maroon tried everything, well everything except an electrified fence and other similar methods. But those darn bears are just so destructive, trying to stay fed and all. It’s a miracle that locals survived this long! The same can’t be said for a few 12 year old grapevines, which faced utter destruction.
Black Sears Vineyards owner Jerry Sears has a different view of the bears ferocious appetite, writing off the lost grapes as a natural property tax for having a winery in the area.
Some are outraged by the murder of the noble creatures.
Ann Curtis, the director of Aetna Springs Golf Course, just down the road from the winery, called the controversy “wine for blood, life versus profit.”
“It isn’t just bears. Herds of deer have been killed over the same thing,” said Curtis, who has lived in Pope Valley for 34 years. “To come into a wildlife area and then kill off the wildlife is wrong. I don’t see much difference between throwing a sandwich out the window for bears in Yosemite Park and inviting them to dinner here by putting grapes out for them to eat.”
Read [SFGate]
December 31st, 2005 at 11:02 pm
Winery owners:
How dare you kill bears to maximize your winery profits! We should protect bears and deer, they are natural inhabitants of the area in which you grow your wine. You are infringing on the grazing area of these creatures. I will not buy your wine, and enourage other to do the same, until you stop the killing. Shame on you!
January 2nd, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Unfortunately, we occasionally have to kill a bear.It’s only after we’ve tried all the usual passive deterrents. The bear seems to take up residency and the damage goes beyond the kind of “aw shucks, that’s the way it goes” damage we get from all other neighbors. The bears start to threaten people. Relocating is cost prohibitive. Deer we can fence out. Birds are the most consistent problem especially English starlings (the rats of the sky).
January 2nd, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Roberta,
Here’s the website of the aforementioned winery:
http://www.aetnaspringscellars.com/
January 2nd, 2006 at 12:42 pm
Bradley,
It’s interesting to look at this from both sides. On the one hand it’s a nuisance to Vintners who get to a breaking point and feel that this is their last option. On the other, how is the taking of life ever justified? Many would agree it’s when human lives are threatened, but view shooting the animal as a last resort if relocation isn’t an option. But I didn’t read in the story that these bear were threatening humans. The point I find interesting is that other Vintners in the area considered the resident bears as part of a natural property tax.