Bledsoe Man Charged After Killing Bear

A Bledsoe County man faces charges for killing a black bear on his property. Wildlife officers tell us the man could have let the bear go.

Two weeks ago something killed two calves in Clifford Hale Jr.'s yard. And he says that's why last week when he saw a bear near his kids and his livestock he started to shoot.

Clifford Hale Jr.'s family relaxes on their porch tonight. In the distance you can see donkeys, cows, and a variety of other animals on their property but not one of the Hale's has ever seen a bear - that is until last week. Hale says this black bear he's crossed a field last week and came onto his property.

"It scared me to death because I never in my life dreamed of a bear walking in the front yard near me," Erma Hale, Clifford 'Chip' Hale's mom, says.

"I was scared, I was scared they might get my kids or something and my livestock," Clifford 'Chip' Hale Jr. says.

And Hale says the bear did go after his livestock more than forty goats inside this pen. That's when Hale ran inside and grabbed this .22 and started shooting.

"Right out there is where he done more damage to the wire trying to get through because after I shot him the first couple of time he just sort of kept hitting the wire," Hale points out.

But Hale says the bear only became angry after being shot, so he yelled for his son to get a more powerful gun and did eventually kill the bear. But TWRA officers charged Hale with killing big game out of season because they say Hale could have let the bear go.

TWRA Officer Mark Patterson says "in other situations the public should contact their Regional TWRA office and allow the Agency to respond."

But Hale's family says they're just glad that he made a split second decision to help keep them safe.

"I'm very proud of Chip and I'm sorry the bears dead but the bear was on our ground a hindering and bothering our stuff down there," Hale's mom says.

"Would you go back and change anything that you did?" we ask Hale. "No not as far as protecting what's mine and my kids that the main thing that's what it's all about," Hale says.

Tennessee law allows landowners to kill wildlife that threatens their safety or is destroying their property. As for Hale he will appear in court on Sept. 26.