A Lake Tahoe vacation took a sharp turn on Wednesday when a Sacramento man says a black bear charged him outside his Tahoma vacation home, and he stopped the animal with a blast of bear spray. The close call, which he says was caught on camera, left him temporarily blinded by overspray but otherwise unhurt, and has become one more cautionary tale about what happens when food and trash are left easy for bears to reach around the lake.
Courtlandt Koerwitz told KCRA that his daughter first spotted the bear after it had gotten into a garbage can in the garage. He said he went to check the garage with bear spray in hand and fired when the bear rushed him; the spray stopped the animal but also misted into his face. Video Koerwitz provided to the station shows the bear moving toward the garage just before he deploys the spray.
“This kind of aggressive behavior is unusual,” Koerwitz told KCRA. He said he hopes the scare pushes visitors and homeowners to secure garbage, keep food out of cars and stay alert in bear country. Koerwitz added that the overspray hit his eyes when he pulled the trigger but that the bear took off from the property after being sprayed.
Why bears are moving into neighborhoods
Wildlife officials have warned that warmer temperatures and a low snowpack can shorten growing seasons and push black bears to look for other food sources in towns and campsites, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says bears may turn to human food when natural options are scarce, and the agency has urged Lake Tahoe residents and visitors to strip away attractants such as grills, pet food and unsecured trash. Officials say keeping windows and doors locked and using bear‑resistant containers are key steps to cutting down on conflicts.
Local reports show more encounters this year
Local outlets say calls about bears around the Tahoe basin have climbed sharply this season, and some human–bear run-ins have led wildlife teams to euthanize animals deemed a public safety risk, according to South Tahoe Now. The outlet reported roughly 121 bear calls in South Lake Tahoe so far this year, compared with 62 during the same stretch last year, a jump officials connect to more bears and more people sharing the same space. The pattern has sparked renewed outreach from local advocates pressing for strict food and trash practices.
How to stay safe in bear country
Bear experts in the Tahoe basin recommend locking garbage in bear‑proof containers, removing food from vehicles and making sure dumpsters and crawl‑space latches are secured, according to the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team’s site TahoeBears.org. They note that bear spray can work at close range but should be used with care, and they advise people to make noise, back away slowly and avoid running if a bear approaches. If you encounter aggressive behavior or a bear that will not leave, they say to contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916‑358‑2917 or file a report through CDFW’s Wildlife Incident Reporting system.
Koerwitz said he and his family are shaken but grateful the encounter ended without serious injury, and he hopes others treat it as a wake‑up call to lock up food and trash. With summer in full swing and visitation climbing across the basin, wildlife teams say a few basic precautions can go a long way toward preventing dangerous clashes for both people and bears.
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