Colorado
Rules will ban bear hunting in caves
Posted: Jan 5, 2011 12:06 PM by Greg Boyce
DENVER (AP) - Bear hunters say it's unethical to kill an bear in its den. But after a northwest Colorado hunter killed a black bear in a cave last month, Colorado wildlife officials are moving ahead with a formal ban on den hunting.
The state Wildlife Commission decided unanimously Wednesday to draft a new regulation making clear that bears cannot be killed in their dens. The regulation could become law by March. The ban was proposed after a hunter sparked outrage last month when he climbed 6 feet into a cave and killed a 703-pound black bear. Many called the kill unsportsmanlike, though it's not clear whether the bear was actually hibernating or just in the cave.
Still, wildlife managers say a ban on den hunting would promote ethical hunting.
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