Idaho Fish and Game declined to cite a hunter who killed a young male grizzly bear after officials misidentified the animal as a black bear and shared that incorrect information with the hunter.

Due to the miscommunication and extenuating circumstances, IFG said in a press release, officials declined to issue a citation. Grizzly bears are protected by federal and state law. The man was legally hunting black bears, officials say, and believed the young grizzly was a black bear based on what state officials told him.

The hunter, who was not identified by IFG officials, shot and killed the subadult grizzly bear on June 10. The man was hunting in Unit 6 of the Idaho Panhandle, an area state officials say is not commonly used by grizzly bears. After identifying the bear at the scene as a grizzly, the hunter contacted wildlife officials to report it. He cooperated with the ensuing investigation, as well.

After concluding its investigation, Fish and Game officials found the hunter involved was hunting over a legal black bear bait site. The site was located on U.S. Forest Service land near the Lower St. Joe River, roughly 5 miles from the town of St. Maries. The bear was in an area not commonly used by grizzly bears in the Panhandle. The incident is an example of how young male grizzlies may wander long distances and into areas where people don’t expect to encounter them.

Two days prior to the incident, the hunter recorded video of the bear at the bait site and sent it to Fish and Game for review. The hunter expressed concern that the bear was a grizzly and not a black bear. Unfortunately, Fish and Game staff misidentified the young bear as a black bear because it lacked some common features of a grizzly, and shared that misidentification with the hunter.

After shooting the bear and identifying it at the scene as a grizzly, the hunter immediately contacted Fish and Game. He fully cooperated with the investigation. Fish and Game is reviewing its staff’s part in the incident as a personnel matter.

The incident underscores the importance of all hunters, including Fish and Game staff, being capable and confident in properly identifying species and their target prior to shooting. Size and color of the animal are not reliable indicators of species; black bears can be brown, and grizzly bears can be black. It’s best to look at multiple features to make the right call. Grizzly bears typically have short, rounded ears, a dished facial profile, a prominent shoulder hump and 2- to 4-inch-long claws.

Most of Idaho’s grizzly bear populations are in the northern Panhandle area and the area in and around Yellowstone National Park in Eastern Idaho. Young male grizzlies may wander long distances into new areas where people don’t expect to encounter them. These young male bears typically wander through an area, but do not remain there.