According to the Probable Cause Statement on October 1, 2025, authorities received two separate calls alleging a bear had been illegally killed in the Udall area. Both callers named Curtis Hastings as the suspect. Though no evidence was initially provided, officers visited Hastings’ residence on October 3.
After a brief denial, Hastings admitted to shooting a bear with a crossbow on September 27 while deer hunting from a ground blind. He transported the bear using an ATV, skinned it at a friend’s house, and mislabeled the meat as deer before storing it in a freezer.
Officers later found bait scattered near the blind and two unpermitted raccoon traps. Hastings acknowledged baiting the area since June and knew it was illegal to hunt deer over bait.
He was cited for:
- Taking a bear during closed season
- Attempting to take deer with bait
- Trapping without a permit
Additional warnings were issued for possessing bear parts illegally and placing bait in a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) zone.
