Bear baiting leads to charges

TALKEETNA — An orphaned black bear cub found near Yoder Road in May has led to charges, Alaska State Troopers announced Saturday.

According to a trooper press statement, the investigation into the bear cub led officers to an unregistered bait station with a black bear and a brown bear carcass. Eventually, the probe also led troopers to Scott F. Minor, 43, of Eagle River and Yukon E. Grubaugh, 45, of Anchorage.

Minor was issued a summons for taking a black bear at an unregistered bait station, possessing and transporting the unlawfully taken bear and falsifying his black bear sealing certificate.

Grubaugh was charged with assisting Minor in taking the bear, illegally taking a brown bear at an unregistered bait station, possessing and transporting that illegally taken bear and taking a brown bear without a brown bear tag.