PA illegal bear harvest conviction

[Emily]

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Man Found Guilty of Killing Black Bear

Newport, Pa. - A district judge has slapped an additional fine of $1,500 on a Perry County man who says he was defending himself and his dog when he shot a black bear at his home last month.

Judge Daniel McGuire today found 27-year-old Dustin Lauver guilty on a charge of illegally taking or possessing game or wildlife.

Lauver, who lives in a rural area near Newport, says he heard something fighting with his dog and went outside early in the morning to investigate. He says he fired two warning shots with a .22 caliber rifle but soon saw something coming at him and fired again, soon realizing that he had shot and killed the bear.
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He called the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which fined him about $500 for killing the 200-pound female out of season.

Lauver decided to fight the fine in court, but McGuire tacked on the cost of replacing the bear - upping the penalty to more than $2,000.