Bear's behavior is bad news

PHILOMATH, Ore. - Randi Hamlet and her daughter Emily came home to a nasty surprise Monday: evidence of a bear gone wild.

"Inside of our shop, he tore everything apart to pieces," said Randi. "We were scared. We didn't know what to expect."

Randi's husband was home at the time.

"He was sitting in his recliner and the bear came right up to the windows and was scratching at the doors," said Randi.

This isn't the first time the Hamlets have had bear trouble. They live in a house tucked behind Fort Hoskins Park near Philomath, an area one black bear now calls home.

As a result, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed the park until further notice.

ODFW has placed traps all over the park in hopes of catching the bear before it strikes again.

Biologist Nancy Taylor said other neighbors have been feeding the bear. So it's already accustomed to humans. In cases like this one, bears can't just be taken out into the wilderness because they always finds their way back. Once this bear is caught, Taylor said it will be killed.

That's something little Emily doesn't want to see.

"All I want them to do is catch it," said Emily.

While the bear may have scared the family, Randi said it's not going to scare her out of her quiet home in the woods.

"I will continue to live out in the country," said Randi. "I love it."