Wildlife agents remain stumped over the apparent illegal killing of a grizzly bear at least two months ago along the remote Deep Lake Trail in Park County.
The grizzly died from a gunshot wound, and its carcass was discovered May 30, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). They still don’t know who did the deed.
The FWS and Wyoming Game and Fish Department reached out to the public July 18, offering a reward for tips that resolve the case, although the amount of the reward wasn’t specified.
Game and Fish deferred questions about the case to the FWS.
The case’s status remained unchanged as of Friday, FWS spokeswoman Tina Shaw told Cowboy State Daily.
“The case remains open and we have no additional information to share at this point,” she said. “We remain hopeful that someone with information will come forward to help us close this soon.”
Not An Easy Place To Get To
Retired federal ecologist and grizzly advocate Chuck Neal of Cody frequently hikes in grizzly country in Park County, and said he had heard about the bear’s killing.
He told Cowboy State Daily that’s he’s familiar with the area where the carcass was found, but hasn’t been there recently.
It’s not an easy place to get to, Neal said.
The Deep Lake Trail goes through a steep-sided valley that was formed by an ancient earthquake, he said.
Defensive Killing?
The FWS hasn’t released any information about the suspected circumstances of the bear’s shooting, or the sex and estimated age of the bear.
Grizzlies in the Lower 48 remain under federal Endangered Species Act protectionand may not be legally hunted. It is legal, however, to shoot a grizzly in self-defense or defense of other people.
When that happens, it must be immediately reported to wildlife agents. The incident will be investigated to ensure that the claim of self-defense is valid.
Neal said he doubts that the grizzly on the Deep Lake Trail was shot in self-defense because it wasn’t reported by whoever shot the bear.
People who kill bears in legitimate self-defense usually have no problem reporting it, because the odds are good that their case will be cleared, Neal said.
“They (FWS investigators) almost always rule that it’s self-defense and no charges are filed,” he said. “And that makes me think that this was a deliberate poaching of the bear.”
Possible Penalties
If and when somebody is caught, the penalties for shooting the bear might vary, Shaw stated in her email.
Penalties can vary because “each case is pretty unique depending on the details of the situation,” she said. “Generally speaking, the penalty for the taking of a species that is protected under the Endangered Species Act is a misdemeanor, unless it involves tampering with evidence or the sale of an ESA protected species.”
In 2022, a father and son in Idaho were hit with heavy penalties for illegally killing a grizzly the year before.
X-rays revealed the grizzly had been shot at least 12 times, according to reports.
Jared Baum pleaded guilty to a felony charge. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, three years of probation, fined $12,500 and lost his hunting privileges for life.
His father, Rex Baum, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to three days in jail, fined $1,400 and lost his hunting privileges for 10 years, according to reports.
Agencies Ask For Help
It might take a tip from the public to crack this case, according to an FWS statement.
“We are offering a monetary reward for information that leads to the arrest and/or charges being filed against a responsible party,” the agency states. “Payment of rewards is at the discretion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is linked to specific federal wildlife laws. The amount of any reward we may pay is commensurate with the information or assistance received.”
To leave a tip, call the FWS Cody office at 307-527-7604, or the Game and Fish Cody Regional Office at 307-527-7125.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
