Should Estes Park Man Be In More Trouble For Shooting & Killing a Bear Last Week?

Last Wednesday Estes Park property manager Gary O'Dell had an unwelcomed visitor on the premises of the Elk Horn Lodge where he works. To make a long story short, O'Dell shot and killed the 300-pound black bear. Now some residents in Estes Park are upset over the killing.

Gary O'Dell says he had no other choice but to shoot the bear when it showed aggression. O'Dell says children were around when the bear snarled and stomped its paws.

"The bear came out and pounded its feet on the ground 6 or 8 feet away from us," O'Dell said. "It was threatening. I didn't like to shoot the bear, but I had very little choice at that point".

But, just the day before O'Dell gave signs that something like this may happen in the near future. The Tuesday before the shooting O'Dell posted on his Facebook page that he was "at wits end with [the] bear problem" and that he wanted "R&R and Bear BBQ."

It is comments like those that had a group of bear advocates in Estes Park outraged as they met to discuss the situation last night. "This individual very specifically posted in writing that he was going to have a bear barbeque, and the next night the bear was killed," said Becky Browning, who was part of the group. O'Dell told a news team he didn't remember saying those things.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the bear was aggressive, but they only found grounds to fine O'Dell for having trash on his land, which attracted the bear. So instead of facing a $10,000 fine for killing the bear, O'Dell was only given a $68 ticket, which he paid.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife says its investigation is closed but could be re-opened if evidence is found that O'Dell wanted to intentionally kill the bear. O'Dell says there was never any intent.

What are your thoughts?