Six men are on trial for suspected hunting offenses related to the shooting of a bear sow and one of her cubs in Sweden in autumn 2023. The suspected hunting offense occurred during the licensed bear hunt in Strömsund municipality, where hunting bear sows with cubs is prohibited and the animals are protected by law. Five of the men are residents of Norway, and one is registered in Värmland, Sweden.
All six men deny the charges. According to the police preliminary investigation, the hunting day began at an illegal bait site. Dogs were released, and then the men, according to the indictment, drove at high speed to intercept the bears.
The case is described by the prosecution as a serious violation of wildlife law, partly because a car was used during the hunt. The hunters never reported to the county administrative board that the shot sow had accompanying cubs or that a cub was shot. The shooter claims he did not see the cubs when he shot the sow, but on the hunter's own video, the cubs are clearly visible.
We'll just say that we shot at a lone bear.
The reason the shooter did not report shooting a bear sow with cubs was fear of a media frenzy. The skin from the shot bear cub was later found by Norwegian police at the home of the Norwegian TV personality. The trial continues on Thursday, when the defendants will be heard, with a total of four trial days planned.
The verdict will be delivered on April 15. The men risk up to four years in prison, with the penalty range being imprisonment between 6 months and four years. The bear sow was inspected later the same day.
The trial involves detailed evidence and legal proceedings, highlighting the severity of the alleged offenses under Swedish wildlife protection laws.