Black Bear Evicted From Crawl Space With Paintball Gun
A man in South Lake Tahoe undertook the mission to remove a large black bear that had selected a crawlspace beneath a cabin for hibernation. Armed solely with a paintball gun and a flashlight, he successfully prompted the bear to swiftly vacate its winter den.
By Beth Snider · December 30, 2023
Toogee Sielsch, a passionate nature enthusiast, is well-known for documenting the wildlife in and around Lake Tahoe, California. Last week, he found himself face to face with a substantial black bear that had decided to take refuge in the crawlspace of his cabin.
Following the adage, “If it’s brown, lay down. If it’s black, fight back. If it’s white, goodnight,” Toogee geared up to safely handle the situation.
A December 26, 2023 video shows Sielsch peeking into the crawlspace with his paintball gun and flashlight in hand. He crawled into the confined space with courage and caution, firing eight shots to encourage the bear to vacate the premises. The footage reveals the massive 500-pound black bear sprinting out of the crawlspace, demonstrating the sheer size of the creature.
Sielsch referred to the bear as “B33,” a name derived from a previous encounter when the bear had a collar on its neck. He had come across the black bear and removed an identification collar that was too small, saving its life. He assured his followers on Instagram that B33 would find another safer spot to spend the winter.
Dedication to bear conservation is evident in his eviction practices, totaling around 30 bear removals each year, all done voluntarily and free of charge. His passion for protecting the community and the bears themselves is reflected in his distribution of electric bear mats, which deter bears from returning to occupied spaces.
He emphasized the importance of safety in handling bear encounters, cautioning against attempting such evictions without proper training and experience. While this particular incident involved crawling into a crawlspace, Sielsch explained that his usual approach involving shouting to encourage bears to move is usually effective.