Wyoming Man Fined for Accidentally Shooting Grizzly

CODY, Wyo. (AP) — A 57-year-old man has been fined nearly $12,000 for illegally killing a grizzly bear in 2017.

Joel Blury, or Riverton, was sentenced Feb. 5 by Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters in Park County for illegally shooting and killing the endangered species. Blury also received a misdemeanor charge for shooting wildlife from a road.

As part of his punishment, Blury is prohibited from hunting, trapping or fishing for the remainder of this year.

Dan Smith, of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, says Blury mistook the adult grizzly for a black bear, a species he was legally hunting the day he shot the bear.

In addition, he shot the bear from a road in the Shoshone National Forest.