Tag: cub

Man pleads guilty to killing grizzly bear and cub; hidden evidence located

A Canadian man illegally killed a grizzly bear sow and its cub in his backyard and literally attempted to cover up his crime.

A Canadian man killed a grizzly bear and its cub in his backyard and literally attempted to cover up his crime, but his ignorance about GPS tracking did him in.

So, Dax McHarg of Elk Valley, British Columbia, pleaded guilty in Fernie Provincial Court to killing a grizzly bear sow and cub out of season, unlawful possession of dead wildlife, failing to report the accidental killing of wildlife and mischief under $5,000, according to the Conservation Officer Service in a Facebook post Friday.

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McHarg received a $15,152 penalty and a 10-year hunting ban, along with 100 hours of community service. He also must retake the hunter education course CORE. The firearm he used has been forfeited and will be destroyed.

McHarg killed the bears and then removed and kept the heads and paws. He buried the carcasses on his property, but hide the severed GPS collar and four tagged grizzly bear ear tips in a remote location near Elkford.

An investigation into the crime began October 2021 when a wildlife scientist discovered the GPS collar and tagged bear ear tips. Investigators used the items to track down the bears’ last location to McHarg’s house, the CBC reported.

“The bears had reportedly been accessing insecure free-range chickens,” the COS stated.

Conservation officer Ryan Gordon told the CBC that the McHarg property doesn’t have any electric fencing to protect the chickens from the bears and other predators.

“All efforts should be made to protect both life, livestock and wildlife,” Gordon told CBC.

“That would be night penning, so putting your chickens into a secure building, having electric fencing installed along with proper feeding techniques to limit smells and attractions for bears.”

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The COS did not receive any reports of bears accessing the chickens on McHarg’s property. Gordon asks people to report any wildlife entering their property to the agency.

“The majority of the penalty will go to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation,” the COS stated.

Generic photo of a grizzly and cub courtesy of Frank van Manen/The United States Geological Survey.

Watch: Bear cub tumbles down waterfall while salmon fishing

A bear-cam at Alaska’s Katmai National Park has captured footage of a brown bear cub tumbling over a waterfall.

Brown bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park are terrific salmon catchers. But for cubs, wading in a swift river is a precarious task.

The accompanying footage, captured by the Explore.org Brown Bear Cam, shows a bear cub lose its footing, get swept up by the current, and tumble six feet down Brooks Falls.

Viewers can hear the muted voices of observers in awe of the spectacle, and cheering as the cub surfaces in apparent good health.

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According to Travel Guide Book, the bear is a first-year cub named Little Bean, whose mom, 909, was nearby. “All’s well that ends well, 909 retrieved her by the island,” Travel Guide Book wrote on Facebook.

Brooks Falls, on the Brooks River, is a famous fishing area for brown bears trying to fatten up before the onset of winter. Bears often hunt at the top of the waterfall and catch salmon as they attempt to leap over the falls to reach their spawning grounds upriver.

–Image and video are courtesy of Explore.org

Cub rides on momma bear’s head in adorable swimming video

In a precious wildlife sighting in Canada, a cub was captured in video hitching a ride across a lake atop of momma bear’s head.

In a precious wildlife sighting in Canada, a cub was captured in video hitching a ride across a lake on top of momma bear’s head.

The sighting occurred earlier this month in Saint-Ubalde, Quebec, and the video was posted Thursday by ViralHog.

The reactions were wide-ranging, with several wanting more footage:

“Such a good mama.”

“I thought the cub was floating!”

“I could have watched a longer version of this. It’s really cute.”

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“Man, why only 10 sec?”

“That was sweet and cute.”

“Just adorable.”

Bears are excellent swimmers and are said to swim across lakes and rivers while patrolling their territories.

“Since bears like to hunt fish, they are not shy of water,” BearLife.org writes. “In fact, their baby cubs take to the water quickly.

“In their search for food in their habitat they can cross ponds, lakes, and rivers to get to better feeding grounds (including campgrounds, lodges, and resorts). They use their powerful front and hind legs to paddle swiftly through water and are actually graceful swimmers.”

Photo courtesy of ViralHog.

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