Not when it’s self-defense! That’s what the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in United States v. Charette:

On the morning of May 11, 2014, Charette and his now ex-wife, Jessica, awoke to barking and commotion behind their home. Looking outside, they spotted an adult grizzly bear with two yearlings in a pasture beyond their fenced-in yard, approximately 30 yards from the home. Because the bears were chasing their horses, Charette went downstairs, grabbed his .270-caliber rifle, and went outside. Then, according to Jessica, Charette shot one of the bears after it stood on its hind legs near the fence. … Charette’s stepfather, Raymond Carl, was also present that morning, gardening on the other side of the property approximately 100 yards away. Carl testified that, after he heard two “warning” shots, he saw one bear chasing a dog towards the home, and then watched a final, third shot kill the bear. …

On November 2, 2015, the Government charged Charette with one count of unlawfully taking a threatened species in violation of [the Endangered Species Act]. Throughout the case Charette maintained that he acted in self-defense. He did try twice to change his plea to guilty, admitting under oath that he had no permit to kill a grizzly bear. The magistrate judge, however, refused to accept his guilty plea because Charette would not admit that he “did . . . not act in self-defense or in defense of others in shooting and killing that bear.” During the plea colloquy, Charette stated that he “didn’t shoot [the bear] because it was chasing the horses.” Rather he stated, “I shot it because it was running towards me and chasing the dogs that are there to keep . . . the bears out of my immediate backyard.” The magistrate judge found Charette guilty on May 19, 2016, following a bench trial. …

The Court of Appeals reversed. In his opinion for the three judge panel, Judge Tallman noted:

Under [the Endangered Species Act], 

it shall be a defense to prosecution under this subsection if the defendant committed the offense based on a good faith belief that he was acting to protect himself or herself, a member of his or her family, or any other individual, from bodily harm from any endangered or threatened species. (emphasis added).

Seems pretty clear to me!