Hunter criticized for allowing grizzly bears to feed on moose carcass did nothing illegal, officials say

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t leave a legally harvested moose carcass within reach of a family of grizzly bears. You’ll probably lose part of the animal, and the bears will learn a bad lesson (that backyards are good places for an easy meal). You might also get your ass kicked by neighbors who might not appreciate the sight of a sow and three cubs pulling a moose carcass out of the front end of your tractor.

That exact scenario played out in Alberta’s Mountain View County this month when a photo of the scene was shared on social media. The photo showed a sow reaching for a moose carcass that was hanging from a tractor while her calves fed just below her. That angered some residents, according to This Albertan, and the hunter responsible for hanging the moose in this manner was censured and reported to Alberta Fish and Wildlife. However, after an investigation, officials determined that the hunter had done nothing illegal and was in full compliance with the regulations.

This Albertan reports that the photo was taken about 50 miles north of Cochrane, near the towns of Bergen and Fallen Timber. The local news outlet did not name the moose hunter or specify where the post came from, only saying that it was shared with a group in the Sundre area. Outdoor life contacted Alberta Fish and Wildlife to confirm the reports, and government spokeswoman Laura Vilchis explained the basic facts in an emailed statement.

“On September 10, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services received reports of social media posts depicting a female grizzly bear and her three cubs feeding on a moose carcass,” Vilchis wrote in a statement. “Fish and Wildlife officers visited the location where the moose was taken to conduct a compliance check… After a thorough review, the officer confirmed that the hunter had complied with all regulations.”

Vilchis noted several major violations of the game that investigators were looking for, such as immediately tagging the animal and making sure no meat was wasted. She didn’t specify what was left of the moose carcass by the time investigators arrived, but since the hunter wasn’t charged with a violation, it’s possible he stripped all the meat off the carcass before the bears feasted on it. The cape could have been damaged, but since the cape is still on the carcass, it seems unlikely he intended to mount the bull at all (though that’s a good idea).

Read more: Idaho bowhunters kill grizzly bear in self-defense in ‘surprise encounter’ near Yellowstone

Vilchis added that with archery elk season underway, nonhunters need to remember that hunters are part of the landscape. (And in many cases, they understand the rules better than nonhunters.)

“Hunters know that the regulations must be followed,” Vilchis says, “and if they don’t follow them, they will be prosecuted.”