Arrest Warrant Coming For Man Accused Of Killing Mother Bear
COLFAX TWP. (WWJ/AP) - A Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer says an arrest warrant will be sought for a man accused of shooting a mother black bear accompanied by her three cubs.
The bear was reportedly shot Sept. 23 in Colfax Township in Oceana County. The Department of Natural Resources started investigating after receiving a complaint from someone who said the hunter, who lives in the Holland-Zeeland area, knew the bear had cubs with it.
Conservation officer Troy Van Gelderen told the Muskegon Chronicle that the man has a bear-hunting permit and was hunting legally at the time, but that it's illegal to kill a mother bear that's with her cubs.
According to Van Gelderen, conservation officers spoke with the hunter Monday night and retrieved the bear from a processor.
The DNR expects to request a warrant from prosecutors Wednesday. Possible punishments for such a violation include a fine, a short jail term and loss of hunting privileges.
It's not known what happened to the cubs after their mother was killed.
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