Browning man sentenced for shooting grizzlies

A 75-year-old Browning man was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution for shooting three grizzly bears on his property in August 2014.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston sentenced Everett Skunkcap in U.S. District Court in Great Falls on Jan. 22. Johnston also ordered Skunkcap to serve six months in jail but suspended the time on the condition that Skunkcap pay all the restitution in a timely way.

Skunkcap rejected a plea deal offered by attorneys in early January but later pleaded guilty to one count of taking a threatened species.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon, Skunkcap saw the three grizzly bears on Aug. 6, grabbed a .300 Winchester rifle and shot the first two immediately. The third grizzly bear ran away but returned an hour later. Skunkcap also shot the third bear because he claimed it was going to “raise hell” later that night, Weldon said in his filings.

When questioned about the shootings, Skunkcap allegedly admitted he shot the bears. He then allegedly asked investigators if he could have the bodies of the dead bears when the investigation was complete so he could “tan them and put them on the wall as a souvenir.”

Weldon also alleged that five months prior to the shooting, Skunkcap had told Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife technicians that he had shot a different grizzly bear in 2013. He also allegedly told the wildlife technicians that if any grizzlies came on his property, he would shoot them again, Weldon said. The wildlife officials told Skunkcap to call the office if there were bear management issues. Skunkcap allegedly responded that he would just shoot them anyway, Weldon said.

The bears, a 17-year-old female with two male cubs about 18 months old, were shot on Skunkcap’s property off of Durham Road west of Browning.

According to court documents, Skunkcap told U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials that he heard dogs barking around 10 a.m. and saw the bears on his property from about 200 to 500 feet away.

He ran to his house to get his .300 Winchester rifle and fired a warning shot, but the grizzlies kept walking along a ridge in the direction of his three grandchildren. He said the bears were about 300 feet from the grandchildren.

Authorities say the bears never ran toward the grandchildren, who went to the house. Skunkcap then shot the sow and one of the young bears. The third bear ran away but returned an hour later and stood over the two dead bears.

“Skunkcap figured this grizzly was going to ‘raise hell’ later that night,” court documents state. “Skunkcap stated that he might as well do away with it as well. He shot and killed the third grizzly.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local law enforcement. All restitution payments will go to supporting law enforcement efforts toward investigating and prosecuting future wildlife crimes.