WENATCHEE — Wildlife agents say three Wenatchee residents illegally hunted black bear last summer on land off Number 2 Canyon Road, using bait to lure the animals.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers arrested 60-year-old Jon L. Markel, 60, in August 2019, for allegedly guiding 40-year-old Erin N. McCabe to a site he’d baited to attract bear up Number 2 Canyon. Investigators said Markel stuffed a plastic barrel with 60 pounds of doughnuts and bread, and McCabe shot and killed a bear that was drawn to the bait.

The agency filed its reports with the Chelan County Prosecuting Attorney’s office last month, and the men face District Court charges of unlawfully hunting with bait. The offense is a gross misdemeanor, and both men must appear in Chelan County District Court in March.

McCabe wrote and signed a confession to wildlife officers, admitting he’d baited and shot the bear Aug. 2, while carrying the appropriate state license and tags. Prosecutors also charged a third man, Logan M. Franklin, 34, after videos and text messages allegedly showed him adding bait to the barrel.

Wildlife agents say Markel hasn’t held a hunting license in eight years, but continued to shoot wildlife on his property. He previously pleaded guilty to poaching a deer in 2012.

WDFW officers said they seized bear meat from Markel’s property during the investigation, and donated it to a local food charity.