Anchorage man charged with shooting a bear cub in Nome

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- A 56-year-old Anchorage man is accused of shooting a brown bear cub in Nome.

Virgil O. Norton was charged Sunday in Nome. The charge of shooting a cub is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, Alaska State Troopers said.

Nome wildlife protection trooper Jay Sears said Norton is believed to have shot the cub Sept. 30 while hunting from a Nome area road.

Troopers were notified Friday, after Norton brought the bear's skull and hide in to state Fish and Game officials to be measured and sealed, Sears said. The hide was very small, he said.

Sears sent a tooth from the skull to a Montana lab to exactly determine the bear's age. Any bear less than 2 years old is legally considered a cub, he said.

Norton's arraignment is set for Oct. 25 in Nome District Court.