Once the Bear Chose His Beer, There Was No Stopping Him

When state Fish & Wildlife agents found a black bear passed out on the lawn of Baker Lake Resort, there were some clues scattered nearby – dozens of empty cans of Rainier Beer.

The bear apparently got into campers’ coolers and used his claws and teeth to puncture the cans. And not just any cans.

“He drank the Rainier and wouldn’t drink the Busch beer,” said Lisa Broxson, bookkeeper at the campground and cabins resort east of Mt. Baker.

Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Sgt. Bill Heinck said Wednesday that the bear tried one can of Busch, but ignored the rest. The bear then consumed about 36 cans of Rainier.

A wildlife agent tried to chase the bear from the campground, but the animal climbed a tree to sleep it off. Agents herded the bear away, but it returned in the morning.

Agents then used a trap to capture it for relocation, baiting the trap with the usual: doughnuts, honey and, in this case, two open cans of Rainier.