A grizzly bear was killed by a hunter May 9 in the Priest Lake drainage of Idaho's Panhandle.

The Kootenai County resident told the Idaho Department of Fish and Game he thought he was looking at a black bear when he shot a young female grizzly from a distance of less than 100 yards in the evening.

"After identifying the bear at the scene as a grizzly, the hunter immediately self-reported via the Citizens Against Poaching hotline and is fully cooperating with Idaho Fish and Game on the ongoing investigation," a press release said.

Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law.

"Bear hunters are responsible for proper identification of their target prior to shooting," the release said.

Fish and Game's TJ Ross said the hunter was not a novice. He said details of the shooting could not be released as it is under investigation.

The incident serves as an important reminder that grizzly bears can be found in portions of the Panhandle and Upper Snake Regions and occasionally in other regions in Idaho, the release said.

There are fewer than 100 bears in North Idaho’s Panhandle. They can found in any game management unit in the Panhandle, but they are most common in Unit 1 and the northern portions of units 4 and 4A. 

Adult female grizzly bears have a home range of about 155 square miles. Young males will typically move much more than this, Fish and Game said.

Nearly two years ago, in June 2023, another hunter shot and killed a grizzly north of Upper Priest Lake. The hunter also said he thought it was a black bear when he fired from a distance of about 170 yards on a morning with good visibility.

Ross said Fish and Game is committed to continuing education and outreach to curb occurrences of mistaken identity. 

Staff in the Panhandle Region operate a bear education trailer throughout the year. 

"The trailer is used to reach people of all ages with information about bear identification and safety," Ross wrote.