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.