2 men banned from hunting after Yellowstone grizzly poached

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two Idaho men have been sentenced to jail time and banned from hunting for years after pleading guilty to poaching a grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a press release that Rex Baum, 79, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with the female grizzly's death last year. He was ordered to serve 3 days in jail and was banned from hunting for a decade. Baum's son, Jared Baum of Ashton, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and banned from hunting for life after pleading guilty to a felony in connection with the incident.

Fish and Game officers discovered the grizzly's carcass on April 9, 2021 after the bear's radio tracking collar signaled it had died, the Idaho Statesman reported. X-rays of the bear showed she had been shot more than a dozen times. Conservation officers visited the bear's den, discovering a dead male cub.

The agency contacted the two men after sending a warrant to Google for records of electronic devices that had been in the area around the time of the grizzly's death.

Idaho grizzlies are federally protected. Last month, Idaho Gov. Brad Little joined Montana and Wyoming governors in petitioning for the bears to be removed from Endangered Species Act protections.