August 22, 2015
From KOMONews.com
RENTON, Wash. — State wildlife officers are investigating whether a Renton man and his son illegally baited and shot a mother black bear after it attacked the family dog. Cooke says he left the dog’s kennel open overnight.
Cooke acknowledges the bear at no time presented an imminent threat.
Cooke says his son waited for the sow Friday night after dark. They put a handful of dog food nuggets in a large plastic bucket. And that has led to suspicion the bear was baited. “My son set up, if you will, an ambush out here for the bear,” Cooke said.
The penalty for baiting and killing a bear is a $5,000 fine and up to a year in prison.