A Missouri man has been fined $5,500 for shooting a black bear last summer near Red Lake after he had already shot a much smaller bruin and left it to rot.

A provincial investigation determined that during a hunting trip Aug. 15-17 south of Perrault Falls, Crane resident Gregory Evans shot and killed the first bear, but abandoned it because it was a small female.

Evans “abandoned (the first animal) in search of a larger, more impressive bear,” despite possessing a licence to shoot only one, a provincial news release said Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Evans shot a male bear on Aug. 17.

Earlier this month, Evans pleaded guilty in Kenora court to abandoning a black bear and letting it spoil, hunting bear without a licence and making false statement to a conservation officer.

In addition to the fine, Evans was…