December 31, 2014
From NewsAdvance.com
MONTEBELLO — A group of men face a host of misdemeanor charges after conservation police officers said they illegally hunted and killed a bear on private property in Nelson County on Dec. 20.
Video shows the property owner confronting the hunters, Nipper said. At the scene, he said they found the shell casings and other evidence that investigators said they used to determine the hunters shot from the road.
Justin A. Perry, and Roger Matthew Lowery, attempted to have Manuel R. Graybill, check the bear since they already killed one this season, Nipper said.
“They admitted everything, that they exited the vehicle and shot the bear,” Nipper said.
Perry and Lowery are charged with one count each of unlawful killing, possession of a bear, shooting from a public roadway, hunting after exceeding bag limit and trespassing to hunt. Graybill faces charges of lending or borrowing a hunting license, conspiracy to check and unlawful possession of bear.
Unlawfully killing a bear is a Class 1 misdemeanor punished by no more than 12 months in jail and a fine of less than $2,500. Nipper noted the replacement cost for a bear that size is about $3,000.