Man Charged for Protecting Son from Bear

This is insane.

A man charged after he shot a grizzly in Kananaskis Country says he killed the bear only because his 13-year-old son was in danger.

Joe Lucas, a Canadian calf roping champion from near Carstairs, has been charged with five counts under the Parks Act and the Wildlife Act.

But Lucas said he had no choice but to shoot the grizzly as it was approaching his son Kyle.

“I had my boy there, and the bear was heading almost directly towards him,” Lucas said.

“He was 16 yards away, actually, when I shot him. It’s not fun being attacked by a grizzly bear, that’s for sure.”

Lucas said he has fully co-operated with the investigation. He even rode by horseback three hours to his truck to charge his cellphone and call authorities about the death.

“They’re wanting me to become accountable for killing that bear,” he said. “I wonder who would be accountable if my son was dead or I was dead?”

Seriously… if this guy wanted to poach a Grizzly Bear, he would have shot it, processed it, and headed home.  Nobody would have ever known.  Instead, he called authorities to notify them.  Sure, he may have misinterpreted the bear’s intentions and shot it without malicious provocation, but I would argue that a bear less than 50 feet away from me and my son is a concern.  Now this guy is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines - Canadian dollars, no less, which are worth more than American dollars. 

Sorry, but no bear is worth the life of a human.  Period. 

Hat tip Firearms & Freedom.