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Zeeland man pleads guilty to killing bear in front of cubs

Posted at 4:05 PM, Nov 09, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-09 16:09:19-05

OCEANA COUNTY, Mich. — A Zeeland man has pleaded guilty to shooting a black bear in front of her cubs.

Derek Allen Hassevoort pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking the animal, according to Oceana County District Court Officials.  He was ordered to spend 5 days in jail and pay $1,500 in restitution.

Hassevoort will also lose hunting privileges for 3 years plus the rest of this year, court officials said. The bear was killed Sept. 23 in Colfax Township.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, Hassevoort had a license to hunt bear, but it’s illegal to kill a mother bear that is in the company of her cubs.