{"id":847721,"date":"2026-08-06T03:12:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T03:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/847721\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T03:12:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T03:12:11","slug":"black-bear-carcass-found-dumped-in-river-near-fort-nelson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/847721\/","title":{"rendered":"Black bear carcass found dumped in river near Fort Nelson"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 3 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it’s investigating after a black bear carcass was dumped near the Muskwa River Bridge on Aug. 2, roughly a four-kilometre drive south of Fort Nelson.<\/p>\n

In a statement to CBC News, an Environment Ministry spokesperson said anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) Line. <\/p>\n

“The matter is currently under investigation by the Conservation Officer Service, and further information cannot be shared at this time,” they said. <\/p>\n

Coty Hardy lives in Fort Nelson, and came across the carcass while walking his dog by the river. He speculates it may have been killed on private property, then dumped. <\/p>\n

“I would have to guess that maybe somebody had a problem bear in their yard. Being a small northern town, people don’t really care for conservation officers,” he said. <\/p>\n

“If there is a problem bear on somebody’s property and they just shot it, they’re probably not reporting and just got rid of it.” <\/p>\n

Hardy says the black bear was in two pieces, sitting in the water along the shore, not far from the bridge itself. <\/p>\n

“I’ve been at that river pretty much every day for like three weeks now, and pretty consistently all spring. I’ve never seen anything like that dumped so close,” he said. <\/p>\n

\"FortFort Nelson resident Coty Hardy said he found the bear near the Muskwa River Bridge. He says the area is a popular camping spot for tourists and locals. (Submitted by Coty Hardy)<\/p>\n

The Muskwa River flows through 257 kilometres of northern British Columbia, and is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River. Muskwa or Maskwa means “bear” in the Cree language. <\/p>\n

The river also flows in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, a wilderness conservation area in the Northern Rockies spanning 6.4 million hectares. <\/p>\n

According to provincial hunting regulations<\/a>, the hunting season for black bears is currently closed and won’t open until Aug. 15. <\/p>\n

The Peace and Northern Rockies are listed as Region 7B under the regulations, with the general open season for black bear hunting from April 1 to June 30, and Aug. 15 to Nov. 15, each year. <\/p>\n

Regardless of the time of year, dumping carcasses is illegal<\/a> under the B.C. Wildlife Act. <\/p>\n

The river area by the bridge is also a popular camping and picnic spot for locals and tourists, according to Hardy, who’s also concerned about an increasing amount of trash and garbage being left behind. <\/p>\n

“It’s been getting pretty messy down there,” he said. <\/p>\n

“I clean the garbage as I can, and I know a few others do as well; they take their pets, their families down there, but kind of a losing battle.” <\/p>\n

Subscribe to CBC\u2019s Fort St. John Weekly<\/a> for a round-up of the best news and stories from B.C.\u2019s Peace and Northern Rockies.<\/p>\n

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