Dear editor:

I started hunting 59 years ago. In that time, I’ve seen grizzlies with no hump. I’ve seen black bears with very dish-like faces, and both species in many color phases, all of which makes 100% identification uncertain. Even the large predator “expert,” after hours of watching, with co-worker, what they both thought was a black bear for hours, killed a grizzly bear.

I find it counter-productive to fine anyone for making an honest mistake of misidentifying a griz for a black bear. Especially such crippling fines.

We have boar grizzlies killing many young grizzlies and black bear, elk, moose and calf young, so the killing of boar grizzly by mistake, is a conservation for the other animals. Conservationist of the year award should be considered.

Yet our state game agencies, YNP and USFWS have killed hundreds of grizzlies since they were listed as endangered, for them it is “okay,” even approved. However, a hunter, in a mistake, is going to be made to pay out the nose.

The government can do what it pleases, has been mismanaging our ungulate game herds for years by allowing major predation on them. A travesty for the owners, we the people, but even worse for the herds they’ve been ignoring as numbers dwindle due to  devastation by predators.

The government forgets that the Constitution is for their restraint. Unaccountable treason against the wildlife and us.

Randy Selby

Wapiti