PRIEST LAKE, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game are investigating after a nonresident hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear he mistook for a black bear. The bear was killed in Idaho’s panhandle, north of Upper Priest Lake.
According to the Coeur D' Alene Press, the hunter shot the bear on a clear morning from 170 yards.
After killing the animal, the hunter contacted Idaho Fish and Game and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Idaho Fish and Game sent out a press release as “an important reminder that grizzly bears can be found in game management units in the Panhandle, in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and grizzlies are known to occasionally visit portions of the Clearwater Region.”
Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal laws and according to Idaho Fish and Game, hunters are responsible for proper identification of their target.
Fish and Game encourages hunters to review their bear identification skills to avoid mistaken identity. Size and color of the animal are not reliable indicators of species. They say it is best to look at multiple features in order to make the right call. Grizzlies typically have short, rounded ears, a dished facial profile, a prominent shoulder hump and 2-4 inch long claws.
WATCH RELATED: Grizzly bear tracks spotted in Coeur d'Alene National Forest (May 2019)
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