Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

A man from Heron pleaded guilty to nine charges brought forth by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) last Monday, October 18. Alfred Bridges admitted to three counts of unlawful possession of game, fish or furbearers; two counts of unlawful use of equipment while hunting; one count of a license, permit or tag offense; one count of hunting over the limit and one count of hunting during a closed season.

According to Cheryl Copperstone, Deputy County Attorney for Sanders County, Bridges is actually facing 11 charges, with two still pending. All the charges were filed by FWP. She explained that between May 31, 2020, and May 31, 2021, Bridges killed at least two bears, two deer and one cow elk. Copperstone stated Bridges was purchasing food from local thrift/food bank shops and baiting the animals into an area. According to her, Bridges’ defense was that he was starving, even though she said he obtained these items as well as dog food and food for himself, at the store.

After his guilty plea, Bridges will be responsible for a $9,000 fine and restitution of $3,500. All the charges were considered misdemeanors. Bridges will also face six months of suspended jail time and has had his hunting privileges revoked for 4.5 years. Copperstone commended FWP for the case, saying “everything done in this case was done by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.”

There may be more to this case, and Copperstone found it important to get this information out to the public as a cautionary tale to other unlawful hunters. One of Copperstone’s main concerns is the growing bear problem in the Heron area, which she attributes to poachers like Bridges and baiting. “He’s made those bears more dangerous, in my opinion,” Copperstone said. According to her, the number of calls regarding incidents with bears has increased this year because of the wildfires as well. “I think the bears are more dangerous this year because of the fires and the heat that dried up all the berries early,” she stated. Copperstone is concerned that the deplenished food source and baiting will contribute to a growing number of bear calls in the area.

Bridges operates an online blog called “North American Muzzleloader Hunting,” on which he voices his opinions and experiences hunting with black powder. There, he goes by Toby Bridges. On that website he expresses his disagreement with state regulations. “Due to the ignorant and definitely non-serving hunting regulations imposed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks which prohibit hunting bears with hounds ... or using bait (or even scent) ... it is almost impossible to hang your tag on a black bear in this state,” Bridges states in an article titled “Become a Black Bear Junkie!” Copperstone said Bridges stated in court that Montana does not manage their predators properly. “Unfortunately for the defendant, the laws we have are the ones all the citizens must follow, and all law enforcement officers must enforce,” Copperstone stated.

Copperstone moved to Sanders County from Lincoln County and started working for the court about a month ago. She explains that while on the job, she will strongly tackle driving under the influence cases. “They put your family and my family at risk. It seems to be something people have an attitude about, like, that’s’ just the Montana way. Well, it’s not,” said Copperstone. “I’ve been told I don’t see any grey, just black and white,” she added.