A black bear was released from bear trap on Friday evening in the hills above the Carson Valley, west of the Gardnerville Ranchos area where the bear was tranquilized earlier that day.
Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said Saturday that the male yearling bear tranquilized the previous morning at a home in the Gardnerville Ranchos was released later that evening.
Healy said the bear was released by biologists using “aversive” conditioning methods, including the firing of rubber buckshot and pursuit by a Karelian bear dog.
The goal was to chase the bear from its trap and frighten it away from subdivisions and human developments.
“We have the most success with aversion conditioning on bears like this. They are young and respond to the aversion treatment. The rubber buckshot and the bear dogs chasing them make an impression that will hopefully keep them wild,” NDOW biologist Carl Lackey said Friday.
The bear is estimated to weigh 80 to 100 pounds.
To report a nuisance bear, call NDOW’s Bear Hotline at 775-688-BEAR.