A Wisconsin man has been ordered to pay more than $2,300 for mistakenly shooting and killing a grizzly bear near Spotted Bear.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said Monday that Richard Kutcher thought the animal he shot May 16 was a black bear, not a grizzly. He shot the grizzly in the area of the Wilderness Lodge where he was staying.
Grizzly bears are listed as a threatened species and are illegal to hunt.
FWP officials say Kutcher reported the shooting to wildlife officials immediately and cooperated with the investigation.
Kutcher pleaded guilty in Flathead County Justice Court to killing a grizzly bear in a closed season. He was fined $235 and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.