Alberta grizzly found dead with gunshot wound, investigators ask for public’s help
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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is asking for public assistance after a dead bear was found with a gunshot wound last year, the department said. social media post Friday.
Last November 25, a hunter reported the dead body of the bear. A public trail area near Honey Coulee, about 110 kilometers south of Calgary.
Officials determined tThat brown bear was shot some time ago, “possibly between November 8 and 20,” According to Fish and Wildlife.
Grizzly bear hunting has been banned in Alberta since 2006. They are considered an endangered species by the provincial government.
“Poaching and other illegal hunting activities not only impact Alberta’s ecosystems, but also impact law-abiding hunters,” a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said in a statement sent to CBC News.
“These activities undermine conservation efforts and jeopardize wildlife population management, leading to more restrictive legislation that deters legitimate hunters.”
Through the province’s Report a Poacher program, a tipster who provides information leading to charges may be eligible for a cash reward.
Retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clark said, “It’s a big deal” when a grizzly bear is shot.
Grizzly bears have low reproductive rates – adults typically begin reproducing at five to eight years of age, and boars produce one cub every three to five years thereafter – which contributes to their vulnerable status.
Clark recalled three major cases involving the illegal shooting of grizzly bears during his career: two in which the grizzly was intentionally killed, and one in which it was mistaken for a black bear.
Black bear hunting is allowed in the area where a dead grizzly was found last November. The fall 2025 black bear season ended on November 30, leading Clark to suggest that it was possible the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
But after seeing a photo of the dead bear shared by Alberta Fish and Wildlife, he said, “It’s clearly a grizzly bear.”
Clark said Fish and Wildlife’s investigation will likely include searching the area for tire tracks or footprints, talking to locals and looking for hunters with black bear hunting licenses in the area.
But the grizzly could also have been shot and wandered off before it died, Clark said, making it difficult to narrow down the shooting location.
The provincial government tracks grizzly bear deaths in Alberta. Grizzly bears were the leading cause of death from 2013 to 2022. vehicle collision. The province recorded 58 cases of illegal killing and six cases of brown bears being mistaken for black bears during that time period.
