'I saw the bear about 10 feet away and I shot it': Man kills bear that entered his Steamboat Springs home

Early Saturday morning a homeowner in Steamboat Springs shot and killed a bear after it entered the house overnight.

It happened around 2 a.m. Saturday on the north side of the city. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the near 400-pound bear entered the home through an unlocked door with a lever handle. The bear found dog food, and the commotion of his unwelcome visit woke one of the homeowners.

"She discovered the male bear, screamed, alerting her husband," said Rachael Gonzales of CPW.

The husband, Ken Mauldin, told Steamboat Radio what happened next:

"When I went to my bedroom door, I saw the bear about 10 feet away and I shot it instantly with a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun," Mauldin said. "Then the bear charged me. I continued shooting at it as fast as I could. The bullet hole in the floor suggested the bear got about five to six feet from me when he backed up, changed directions, and crashed through the banister railing onto the stairs, where he collapsed at the bottom of the stairs," Mauldin recounted.

The large bear was killed and wildlife officers removed it from the house.

"That is within their legal rights to do that if they feel threatened by the bear," Gonzales said of the homeowner's actions.

Gonzales told CBS News Colorado there is no indication the large bear had been in homes before, but all bears are looking for food to fatten up for winter.

"Anytime bears are awake, they're going to search for the easiest food to get to. Maybe our trash is out, maybe we've got food in a garage that a bear can just walk into. That's going to attract them to it because it's easy," said Gonzales.

With natural food in the wild scarce right now, Gonzales said it is not uncommon for the animals to make their way into city limits. All the more reason humans do their part to prevent bear encounters.

"If you've got doors, windows that are on the ground levels or patios that bears can easily wander up onto, make sure they're closed and locked, especially in the overnight hours," Gonzales explained.

Putting away bird feeders and using bear-proof trash cans is also encouraged.

"Each situation is different, but you can be cited for having attractants like trash. Places like Steamboat have city ordinances as well, so learning those laws definitely important," said Gonzales. 

Check out how CPW suggests we can be bear aware.