Black bear killed in El Salto
Residents claim animal was poached
El Salto residents were greeted by the sight of a black bear perched in the crotch of a roadside tree last Friday morning (Oct. 29), only to later learn the bear had been shot full of arrows by an unidentified individual and later removed by Taos Volunteer Fire Department.
Some residents claim the bear was poached.
“We observed people stopping in their cars to admire the beautiful animal throughout the day,” said Alastair Kieth, who noticed the bear in the tree on the corner of her driveway Friday morning. “As the evening approached more people began to stop and El Salto received the most traffic congestion it has probably ever had.”
Kieth’s partner, Leland Thompson, said by the next morning, the scene had changed dramatically. After running to town for some errands, Thompson returned home around 10 a.m. to find Taos Volunteer Fire Department, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and local officers on scene.
Kieth said when she saw Thompson’s car out on the road, she thought maybe a tree limb had snapped. The last thing on her mind was that the bear had been killed. When she located Thompson and learned of the news, she said she broke down crying. “It was devastating.”
Kieth and Thompson said they are both avid outdoor enthusiasts and are both hunters, but the way in which the bear was killed deeply upset them. “If you want to go bear hunting out in the woods and in the mountains and get a tag, that’s great. But this was in a neighborhood … what they did was not hunting and was not ethical.” said
Thompson. “I’m still pretty pissed off.”
“Everyone that I talked to that was on the street was furious,” added Kieith.
Thompson said rumors circulated that the Department of Game and Fish had a suspect, but this could not be confirmed as of press time. The department did not respond to multiple requests for information.
News of the incident spread quickly on social media, where local residents expressed their sadness and frustration.
Neha Pant, who lives in the area, called the incident “very sad and totally unnecessary ... The bear didn’t need to die. We are the ones in their home,” she said. “It is special to have them here and this kill was extremely sad for the entire El Salto community.”
“I feel sad about it. I wish people would leave them alone unless it is a matter of life and death,” said El Salto area resident Tom Riordan. “I don’t like hunting at all.”
“I hope whoever killed the bear gets found and charged for killing an innocent animal,” posted Annette Maes.
Falcon Britt called the incident “heartbreaking ignorance. I guess we must educate people better on how to handle situations (if there even was a situation other than an opportunity to be malicious to a creature minding its own business).”
Thanks to the quick work of local neighbor and mayordomo Arnold Quintana, however, the dead bear did not go to waste. Along with the help of Thompson, Kieth and a few others, Quintana quickly skinned the animal and harvested its meat to be eaten.
“Nothing went to waste at all,” said Quintana, who added that the meat was donated to several Taos Pueblo families. He said part of his reason for processing the bear was to show his grandkids respect for animals and wildlife.
“It’s terrible the bear died, but it’s good it was given to the Pueblo and to people who are going to eat and use the bear,” said Kieth.
In the future, locals hope that black bears in the area can just be left alone, as long as they’re not posing any danger. “If a black bear is treed up like that, it’s gonna come down in the evening and go do its thing. Just leave it, let it go, or call Game and Fish,” said Thompson.
Kieth said it was crucial to “respect nature and respect the animal and let it do its thing. They won’t bother us if we don’t bother them.”