Idaho Prosecutes Illegal Grizzly Kill

Idaho Fish and GameA Newdale, Idaho man has been found guilty of unlawfully killing a grizzly bear during a jury trial, and he now faces a $1000 fine, $400 civil penalties, 30 days in jail, revocation of his hunting license for one year followed by two years probation. Making this case particularly unusual is that it was prosecuted by the state of Idaho, rather than the federal government. 23 year-old Kenneth Sommer was reportedly hunting with his wife in an area west of Ashton, Idaho when the incident occurred. While Sommer claims the bear had charged him and his wife, investigators testified that there was no evidence of such a charge. Instead, they say it was more likely a case of Sommer not properly identifying the bear before shooting it. Meanwhile, the investigation phases of two unrelated cases regarding the killing of grizzly bears in the Island Park Area in 2013 are complete but are still awaiting federal prosecution.

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