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/)