A heartbreaking and infuriating wildlife crime in Montana is drawing outrage across the region, and it should. According to reporting by Cowboy State Daily, a young black bear cub was shot and left to rot near Stevensville sometime between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22. Wildlife officials say the animal weighed about 45 pounds, unmistakably a “young-of-the-year” cub, and absolutely illegal to hunt under Montana regulations.
This wasn’t a hunting mistake. It wasn’t a split-second misjudgment. As one game warden bluntly put it, this is “as bad as it gets.”
And we agree!
The cub was discovered discarded in the woods, its killer nowhere to be found. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed that the bear’s size and appearance, including the obvious juvenile characteristics, made it impossible for any responsible hunter to claim confusion. Someone pulled a trigger on a baby bear and walked away.
Wildlife officials are now asking the public for help identifying the person responsible, noting that cases like this are often solved because someone speaks up. The penalties could be steep: Significant fines, loss of hunting privileges, and even jail time.
For those of us who live in or around real wilderness, whether in Montana, Idaho, or right here in Jackson Hole, this kind of senseless killing hits differently. We coexist with bears. They’re part of the landscape, part of the culture, part of the reason people move here, visit here, and stay here. When one is killed out of cruelty or negligence, it’s not just a violation of the law; it’s an insult to the entire outdoor community.
And yes, while this tragedy happened in Montana, it echoes loudly in Wyoming. Whether it’s wolf harassment in Yellowstone, moose hit on rural roads, or tourists trying to pet bison (you know who you are), human stupidity around wildlife remains undefeated. But shooting a bear cub and leaving it behind? That’s bottom-of-the-barrel behavior.
If you know anything about the incident, Montana FWP encourages tipsters to come forward. Someone out there knows something, and a bear cub deserves justice.
Reporting sourced from Cowboy State Daily.
What about the bullet,forensics?