A Sitka man has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Game, following the shooting of a bear in the Granite Creek neighborhood last week.
25-year-old Aaron Didrickson was cited by state Fish & Wildlife Troopers for allegedly retaining some of the meat of the bear, which he claimed he shot in self-defense.
According to troopers, Didrickson was called by a friend who lives in the Granite Creek neighborhood to help with a bear near the property.
Didrickson told troopers who responded to the shooting that the bear presented an immediate threat to his safety.
Alaska Wildlife Trooper Tim Hall investigated Didrickson’s claim, and agreed that it was a lawful shooting in Defense of Life or Property, or DLP.
“The bear was very close to him and he was armed to deal with that and he did,” said Hall.
Didrickson would have been off the hook had he followed DLP guidelines. Under the DLP statute you have to surrender different parts of the animal. Didrickson turned in the skull and hide with claws attached to State Troopers. But, it was later discovered that Didrickson kept a portion of the meat, which is not legal because the bear belongs to the state.
“There were some postings made on the Sitka Bear Report Facebook Page suggesting that he had kept bear meat to make jerky out of,” said Hall.
Didrickson forfeited the meat to Troopers. He will be arraigned in Sitka Court on June 3rd.
