November 22, 2011
From FlatHeadBeacon.com
A hunter south of Libby mistakenly killed a grizzly bear on Nov. 13
and turned himself in to Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The hunter shot and killed a collared male grizzly that he
misidentified as a black bear in the Bear Creek drainage south of Libby,
according to FWP.
The hunter contacted FWP and Troy game warden Phil Kilbreath and
conflict specialist Kim Annis identified the bear. The hunter told
Kilbreath he followed a set of bear tracks over a hill and saw a dark
colored bear in the timber which he thought was a black bear so he shot
it.
The hunter pled guilty in Lincoln County Justice Court to hunting
during a closed season and received a $735 fine and 30 hours of
community service, according to FWP.
FWP recommends all black bear hunters refer to literature available
at all FWP offices for practice in distinguishing between black and
grizzly bears.
Hunters can also log on to the agency's website and study the Bear
Identification Program:(http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/bearID/)
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