Alleged bear poacher arrested

A Michigan black bear.
– DNR photo

HART – The 27-year-old Zeeland man who allegedly shot a mother black bear who was with her three cubs, Sept. 23, in Colfax Township has been arrested and is scheduled for arraignment in 78th District Court next Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 10 a.m., according to Oceana County Prosecutor Joseph Bizon.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources sought an arrest warrant last week for the man, who has a bear hunting permit. He was hunting legally until he came upon the bear, because it is illegal to kill a mother bear who is with her cubs, according to the DNR.

The mother bear was wearing a DNR tracking collar. Whatever happened to the cubs after their mother was shot is unknown. A resident informed the DNR about the hunter’s alleged crime. Conservation officers confiscated the bear as evidence.

The crime is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500-$2,000; loss of the hunter’s license for four years; and forfeiture of the weapon used to kill the bear.

The suspect’s name is not being released pending arraignment.