Man who shot bear cub in Whitefish is fined $285

The Daily Inter Lake

A man who shot and killed a black bear cub in Whitefish earlier this month was sentenced Friday in Flathead County Justice Court.

Joe Machado, 45, pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a black bear during closed season and abandoning or wasting its carcass.

On the first charge, acting Justice of the Peace Cheryl Berger fined Machado $135.

On the second charge, she fined him $150. She sentenced him to six months in jail and suspended that time, revoked his hunting privileges for two years, and ordered him to complete a remedial hunter education course within six months.

Machado appeared without a lawyer. According to court records, he will pay his fines in installments.

Machado shot a yearling bear cub out of a tree at night on May 3 in the residential area of Ptarmigan Village. The state's spring bear season is open, but it is never legal to shoot a bear after dark.

One person reportedly warned Machado not to shoot after he threatened to fire on three bears.

Neighbors said he was drinking beer and threatening to shoot an adult female and two yearling cubs that were on the property of one of Machado's neighbors. The incident was reported the next day.