A hunter accused of illegally killing a bear in White County faces a stiff fine and possible jail time.
Acting on a tip, Georgia Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers investigated the incident over the weekend. They inspected the kill site and determined John Wesley Dowdy lured the bear with bait.
State laws forbid the use of bait to lure bears to a specific location “which gives or might give a hunter an unnatural advantage when hunting bear,” according to Georgia State Code.
Game wardens seized the bear. The Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division initially reported that Dowdy was charged with killing the bear over bait. They have since said game wardens filed a different charge against him.
“Both charges can apply, but the game wardens chose to charge him with the lesser violation of hunting big game over bait,” says DNR Law Enforcement Divison spokesperson Mark McKinnon. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
DNR officials had the meat processed to donate to a family in need.
The vast majority of bears killed in the state are bagged in the northern bear zone. The zone includes Rabun, Habersham, Towns, White, Lumpkin, Union, Gilmer, Fannin, and Murray counties.
To legally hunt bears in Georgia, you must have a hunting license, big game permit, and a bear tag issued in your name.
The 2022-23 bear hunting season in North Georgia runs from September 10 through January 8.
This article has been updated to reflect the change in the official charge
