How black bear nicknamed ‘Big B*****d’ stalked elderly California woman for months before cops uncovered blood-soaked scene at her home – as shocked locals give stark warning: ‘It’s easy pickins for them’
A black bear named ‘Big B*****d’ chased a 71-year-old California woman for months before she was found mauled to death – as shocked locals grimly warn: ‘It’s easy for them.’
Patrice Miller lived in the remote mountain town of Downieville. After the fatal attack, she was found on the kitchen floor, ravaged by bite marks and claw marks, and partially eaten, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said.
Neighbor Cassie Koch, 55, who was helping Miller with groceries, had not heard from her friend and asked officers to conduct a welfare check before the grim discovery was made.
Miller, who lived alone with her two cats, came into contact with the bear regularly – so often – that she gave the animal a nickname. Koch said the bear tried to enter her home two weeks before her death, but Miller was able to scare the bear off.
In September, Miller denied a depredation permit from the state Department of Fish & Wildlife — a last resort measure that allows the animal to be shot before it causes serious damage, the department said.
Koch described Miller as a “kind person who wanted the bear that tried to break into her home removed, but not hurt,” she told the newspaper. San Francisco Chronicle.
Patrice Miller, 71, of the remote mountain town of Downieville, was found dead after the fatal bear attack in November 2023. She was found on the kitchen floor, devastated by bite marks and claw marks, and partially eaten, officials said.
A black bear is pictured on the surveillance camera in November 2023
Miller’s death is the first documented human fatality caused by a black bear in California history, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed.
“It’s a big deal,” said department spokesman Steve Gonzalez. “That doesn’t happen in California. Normally a bear will stay away from you, a bear that is not normalized to human behavior.’
Downieville, where the attack occurred, has a population of 105, according to a 2022 U.S. census.
The small town is located in Sierra County, on the North Fork of the Yuba River, about a two-hour drive from the state capital, Sacramento.
When Miller’s body was found, her front door had been broken down, the inside had been ransacked, cabinets had been torn off, trash was strewn about and there was bear feces on the porch.
Koch, 55, a longtime resident, told the news station, “When I was a kid, you never saw a bear in town. Now they are all ready and making their rounds.
She added: “They’re easy choices for them.”
Koch said that before Miller died, she often confronted the bear that was trying to enter her home and was scared.
“It seemed like the bear was trying to break into her house every night,” Koch recalled.
“At first I thought, ‘Oh, this annoying bear.’ But then she seemed scared of it.”
Miller lived with her two cats in a rental house in Downieville. After her death, officials used screws and plywood to secure the home and prevent the bear from re-entering
A state depredation permit was issued and a bear was trapped on the property and euthanized
After Miller’s death, the bear kept returning to the property and citizens were concerned.
County officials installed plywood over the front door and secured it with dozens of screws.
A state looting permit was issued and a trap was placed on the property. It took two days after the trap was set for the bear to be caught and later euthanized.as reported by The Mountain Messenger.
An autopsy subsequently revealed that Miller had died “as a result of a bear mauling or a swipe and a bite to the neck.”
DNA testing confirmed that the first euthanized bear was responsible for Miller’s murder.
Officials explained that the bear that bothered Miller is known to officials as a “public safety bear” due to its repeated aggressive behavior.
For further protection, Miller had steel black bars installed on her windows.
Investigators learned from Miller’s daughter that her mother had constant problems with bears trying to enter her home, and that she had physically struck one.
Another bear subsequently became a problem in Downieville and was euthanized after trying to break into a gym, resulting in a significant decrease in bear activity, the sheriff said.
Bears entering homes or garbage cans in search of food have become a problem in California — from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra to the Los Angeles suburbs, where some have been known to raid refrigerators and take dips in swimming pools and hot tubs in the backyard .
After Miller’s body was found, a local ‘Downieville Crittercam’ captured significant evidence of bears in the area the same week.
Downieville is located along Highway 49 in the Lost Sierra region of the Tahoe National Forest
Downieville is located in California’s remote Sierra High Country
Officials say California’s black bear population has grown from about 10,000 to 15,000 since 1982 and to as many as 65,000 last year.
It is believed that about 40% of bears live in the Sierra Nevada, where an excessive amount of food is accessible to them – and their natural ecosystem has been invaded.
Experts believe that bears have learned to feel more comfortable in areas where people are present, making encounters more common, but also more dangerous.