In May 2015, Shalako Katzer of Mead, Washington, and his family set up for a camping trip at the Yaak Falls Campground in the Kootenai National Forest area in western Montana. After getting wind of a grizzly bear heading toward the campground, Katzer and his brother grabbed their firearms in preparation for the bear’s eventual arrival.
Minutes later, the men spotted the bear in the campground and fired a couple of rounds in the vicinity of the bear. The bear immediately retreated from the area, but the two men pursued the bear toward the Yaak River. The pursuit continued toward the Yaak River Road where Katzer eventually unloaded on the animal with his .45 caliber piston. It was later determined that the bullet from the .45 was what caused the death of the bear.
Despite making a remarkable recovery as of late, the grizzly bear still remains listed as an Endangered Species and as such is both protected by the Endangered Species Act and governed by the protections the act affords the animals.
Katzer was subsequently sentenced earlier this week to a six month prison term and a $5,000 fine for knowingly taking a threatened species in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter hopes the sentencing sends a stern message to would-be poachers of endangered species moving forward.
“This sentence sends a message to would-be grizzly killers” said Cotter. “It tells them that the Department of Justice takes enforcement of federal wildlife protection laws seriously and that individuals who seek to harass and kill these protected animals, not out of self-defense, but apparently for sport, will pay the consequences.”
There is little doubt that these large bears can in fact pose a threat to humans in certain situations, but this particular incident did not yield any evidence that the bear threatened Katzer or his family. Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Steve Oberholtzer praised the combined efforts of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, USFWS and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Grizzly bears can obviously pose a safety risk to humans, but that risk can be diminished or eliminated through proper precautions and appropriate behavior. During this incident Mr. Katzer did not display appropriate behavior and the result was the unlawful killing of a threatened species. I appreciate our close working relationship with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Department of Justice, and the investigator’s and prosecutor’s efforts in seeing this violation through to legal resolution.” Oberholtzer said.
