Associated Press Published

Police: 8 Arrested in West Virginia Illegal Black Bear Hunt

Black Bear

Police have arrested eight men on a variety of charges related to hunting black bears illegally in West Virginia.

A news release Wednesday from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources says an investigation began in September 2015 when an illegal bear baiting site was reported near Mount Storm in Grant County.

Natural Resources police officers say the illegal bear hunting violations occurred between May 2015 and September 2015.

Those arrested include Mark Allen Lampka Jr. of Mount Storm; Daniel Boddy of New Creek; Chad Fridley of Mount Storm; Steve Thomas Lyons Jr. of Elk Garden; Dustin Knaggs of New Creek; Terry Kuh of Maysville; James Scott Kuhn of New Creek; and Ronnie P. Bothwell of Burlington.

The men face 77 combined charges in Grant and Mineral counties.