Originally Posted by
jpatterson
Howdy,
Writing a short story about something unrelated to hunting, but in the story I want to discuss the dilemma of taking down a bear which the hunters did not know had cubs with her.
Is this far fetched? Does it happen? If it happens that a hunter bags a bear with cubs, what does the hunter do in reality? Do you put the cubs down?
As honest and detailed of an answer would be helpful for my short.
Thanks so much,
-J
Welcome J!
It's very unlikely a hunter would not know a sow had cubs. Typically the cubs lead the way, and are first to arrive with the sow bringing up the rear. For myself, I watch sows when they appear and observe their body language. If they are looking around expectantly, I watch for cubs. If they are acting nervous I watch for bigger bears.
For accidental kills whether an unintended species, or like you asked, a sow with cubs. A hunter would contact the Wildlife authorities, in Michigan this is our DNR. So, they would know exactly how many times this would have happened. They would also know what the penalty might be.
Good luck on your project.