Minden black bear caught

A 4- to 5-year-old, 140-pound female bear was found in a tree in the front yard of a Minden home Monday evening.

Nevada Department of Wildlife biologists Carl Lackey and Thad Heater arrived at the house, at the intersection of Mono Avenue and 10th Street around 4:30 p.m. and were able to tranquilize the bear before nightfall.

Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Halsey diverted traffic away from the yard as Lackey and Heater approached the bear with a dart rifle.

Daisy, a young Karelian bear dog, kept the animal treed while Lackey got a shot with a tranquilizer gun.

Daisy was small but effective as she barked and whined at the base of the tree.

When shot, the bear scrambled to the top of tree, rapidly came back down, then lumbered out of the tree into an adjacent yard.

Officials followed the bear, warning bystanders to stay back until the tranquilizer took effect.

A few minutes later, the bear was asleep in the front yard of a neighboring house, and Lackey, Heater and Halsey carried the bear to the sidewalk and examined it before loading it into the biologists' truck.

"It was the first time we've seen the bear" said Lackey.

On Tuesday, Lackey said the bear was doing well, and they were planning on releasing her into the Mt. Rose Wilderness.