Two Killington men will pay fines for killing a bear.

Rutland Herald
10/21/14

Scott Keefer, 24, pleaded guilty Monday in Rutland criminal court to a single misdemeanor charge of taking a bear out of season. His roommate, 20-year-old Aaron Roucoulet, pleaded guilty to a single charge of taking a big game animal by illegal means, also a misdemeanor.

Keefer was sentenced to fines and surcharges totaling about $1,000, though at least a portion could be waived if he completes 40 hours of community service in 120 days. Roucoulet was sentenced to pay fines and surcharges totaling $607 and to forfeit the rifle used in the shooting.

Vermont State Game Warden Timothy Carey wrote in an affidavit that he was called to a home on Anthony Way in Killington by a homeowner who smelled something decomposing in the woods. Carey said he arrived and followed “the strong odor” to the corpse of a bear that had been dead at least a few days.

Keefer and Roucoulet lived nearby, and a third roommate, Mickey Zingarelli, described two times that the duo had shot at bears using Roucoulet’s Marlin lever-action .30-caliber rifle, according to court records.

Roucoulet said he shot at a bear two weeks earlier, firing once at “the two green dots” he took to be its eyes and twice into the darkness but not actually at the bear.

Carey said Keefer described a second incident in which he shot a bear “towards its hindquarters” as it moved away from their house into the woods.

Only one bear carcass was found in the area, according to affidavits.

Court records indicated that another warden, Jason Gravelle, had a conversation with Keefer earlier in the summer about the conditions under which it was legal to shoot a bear as a nuisance. This requires the bear “be actively damaging his house or out buildings, attacking any domestic animals or livestock, damaging any vehicles or beehives or is an imminent threat to personal safety.” Killing of a nuisance bear must also be reported to a warden within 12 hours.

Affidavits indicate that Gravelle advised Keefer to stop keeping unsecured trash on their porch, but that it was still visible there during Carey’s investigation.

gordon.dritschilo@ rutlandherald.com