A 57-year-old Riverton man has been fined $11,735 for the illegal killing of a grizzly bear in 2017.
Joel Blury was sentenced earlier this month in court for shooting and killing the endangered species. He also received a misdemeanor charge for shooting wildlife from the road.
According to a Wyoming Game and Fish report, Blury mistook the adult grizzly for a black bear. He was legally hunting for black bear in the Shoshone National Forest, west of Meeteetse near Wood River. Blury had used a predator call to help lure a bear out of the dense woods. Blurry killed the bear with his .30-06 rifle with a single shot.
Court documents show that he did not immediately turn himself in. Wyoming Game and Fish followed leads regarding identity and located Blury.
Blury must pay the Wyoming Game and Fish $10,000 in restitution and $1,680 to Park County. Additionally, he has court fees and other associated costs, for a total of an $11,735 fine.
He is also prohibited from hunting, fishing, or trapping throughout 2019.
Shooting a grizzly bear without proof of self-defense is a felony and carries up to a $50,000 fine and one year in prison.