Harrison said the male and female bear had been killed in close proximity to one another.

The warden made arrangements to inspect the bears the next day in Darby.

Later that evening, state officials received an anonymous call saying Harrison was in possession of a black bear just off the West Fork Road.

The warden responded and found two bear carcasses that were dumped near Trapper Creek Road. The male and female animals had large chunks of meat removed, but still possessed large quantities fit for human consumption.

One of the bears still had Whyard’s bear license taped to its rear leg.

A professional butcher inspected the animals. He found that 30 to 40 percent of the consumable meat had been taken from one bear and about half from the other.

On Whyard’s Facebook page, the warden found photos labeled “Spring Bear Hunt 2014.” Photos depicted Whyard with two bears strapped to his ATV. Neither bear appeared to be gutted.

When the warden met with Whyard at the Triple Creek Ranch, Whyard said his bear was killed in Trail Creek in Beaverhead County. The two traveled to the alleged kill site, where Whyard showed the warden two gut piles.