JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A Juneau man could face criminal charges after one of his wolf traps mortally wounded a black bear cub, Alaska State Troopers said.
A group of hikers found the cub severely injured near the Ready Bouillon Creek in late May after it stepped into the trap which was illegally left out on Douglas Island, the Juneau Empire reported .
The snare caught the cub around both hind legs and cut the bear almost all the way to the bone, said Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game determined that the cub’s injuries were so severe that it needed to be euthanized, Troopers said in the dispatch online.
The trap is owned by Mark David Mitchell, 39, whose hunting privileges were revoked at the time of the incident for a previous violation.
Mitchell was issued a court summons Wednesday for one count of attempting to trap wolves during a closed season, the Troopers dispatch said.
Mitchell could not be immediately reached for comment. It’s not clear yet if he has a lawyer.
Alaska Wildlife Trooper Jake Abbott, who is the case officer, said they are not going to take this offense lightly.
“This is definitely not something that we want to see and we take it very seriously,’’ Abbott said. “We feel that this is an egregious enough offense that it warrants a criminal charge in this instance.’’
The Troopers’ investigation determined that Mitchell had placed the snare near the Ready Bouillon Creek earlier in year, according to the Troopers dispatch.
The snare was left out despite the fact that wolf trapping season for the area had closed on April 30.
Troopers found three snares in the area and believe there may be more out there, Peters said Thursday.
Mitchell has a mandatory court appearance scheduled for June 21 in relation to the new offense.
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