IDAHO — A hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear after he mistook it for a black bear in Idaho’s Panhandle region.
According to Idaho Fish and Game (IFG), the hunter shot the bear on June 10 in unit 6 of Idaho’s Panhandle. IFG said grizzly bears do not commonly use this area. Most of the state’s grizzly population resides in the northern Panhandle, near Yellowstone National Park. According to IFG, young male grizzlies sometimes wander long distances that people may not expect.
Once the hunter identified the bear as a grizzly, they immediately contacted Idaho Fish and Game and cooperated with the investigation.
Grizzly bears are protected under federal and state law. Bear hunters are responsible for the proper identification of their target. The hunter responsible in this incident received a warning.
