DNA Trips Up Hunter in Illegal Bear Killing
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Wildlife officers used a dead bear’s DNA to prove that a hunter illegally shot the animal in its den.
Michael Autry, 27, of Bridgeville, a Pittsburgh suburb, was found guilty last month and fined $1,000 for killing the bear and for lying about the circumstances. He could also lose his hunting license.
Investigators said Autry shot the 240-pound female black bear in its den on Nov. 20, then dragged the carcass out, took it to a checkpoint and told officials that he had killed the animal five miles from the den.
A hunter who saw Autry kill the animal reported the episode to officials, who took blood and hair samples at the checkpoint and the den.
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