Missouri man faces charges after illegally killing black bear

OZARK COUNTY, Mo. - A Missouri man has been charged after admitting to illegally killing a bear in early September.

According to online court dockets filed on Tuesday, Oct. 7, Curtis Hastings, born 1985, of Bakersfield, has been charged with three misdemeanors, which include importing, transporting, selling, purchasing, taking or possessing black bear/elk/parts inconsistent with rules of the code, taking or attempting to take deer with bait, and trapping without a trapping permit.

The probable cause statement says that an agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation spoke to two individuals over the phone on Thursday, Oct. 2, who told of a bear that was killed near Udall.

Officials spoke to Hastings on Friday, Oct. 3, outside his residence, where he first denied any knowledge of a bear being killed, but shortly later admitted to killing the bear.

Hastings stated that he shot the bear with a crossbow during the morning of Sept. 27 while he was out deer hunting.

The man told the agent that he took the bear to be skinned and labeled it as "deer meat" on freezer bags.

Authorities found two foothold traps that Hastings had set out for raccoons and found that he did not have a trapping permit. The statement also indicates that Hastings knew it was illegal to hunt deer over bait.

In Missouri, hunting regulations prohibit the killing of black bears without proper licensing and only during assigned seasons.

An initial appearance has been set for Dec. 9.