Posted on Tue, Nov. 28, 2006

Gentry admits he shot tame bear

Country star was charged with falsely tagging 'Cubby' as wild

Pioneer Press

Country music star Troy Lee Gentry admitted Monday that "Cubby," the bear he killed on a Minnesota farm in 2004, wasn't a wild beast after all.

Appearing in federal court in Duluth on the day his trial was to start, Gentry pleaded guilty to a charge of falsely claiming the animal was wild. The charge, a misdemeanor, was the result of a plea bargain reached last week with federal prosecutors.

"He's glad to get it over with," said Gentry's attorney, Ron Meshbesher, of Minneapolis. "Obviously, he's saddened by all the publicity in this case, which inferred all kinds of improper conduct."

Gentry, 39, and Lee Marvin Greenly, 46, who owns Minnesota Wildlife Connection near Sandstone, were charged in August with conspiracy and falsely "tagging" the "trophy-caliber" bear by claiming it was shot in the wild. In reality, the tame bear was shot in a fenced area of several acres.

After the indictment, Gentry's Nashville agent shifted the blame for any improper conduct to Greenly, and online fan discussion forums were abuzz with debate over whether Gentry was a bona fide big-game hunter or a wannabe.

Gentry, in a statement released by his management company, said he regrets what happened, but he stops short of accepting any culpability other than relying on Greenly's guidance.

"I did participate in improperly tagging the animal I shot, without realizing the seriousness of what I was doing. For that, I am truly sorry," the statement said. "I relied on the experts around me for guidance, and I regret that today. Not so much because I was fined and punished, but because it appears that I don't have respect for the law."

He says the legal case "has been a humbling experience for me, and one which I deeply regret."

Gentry, half the country duo Montgomery Gentry, had previously declined to speak publicly about the bear shooting. The band's Web site works to craft an image of him and Eddie Montgomery as authentic country music icons.

"We're not trying to candy-coat anything. Who we are is who we are. It's all about being real, being yourself, and playing real music to the people," Gentry is quoted as saying in a biographical blurb.

But federal wildlife officials alleged Gentry's self-professed prowess as a bow hunter was candy-coated and in fact not real. The music star paid Greenly $4,650 for "Cubby," a 600-pound black bear that lived on Greenly's 80-acre business.

Gentry, who lives in Tennessee and has a Minnesota hunting license, killed the bear with a bow and arrow as a video camera recorded the action.

When the kill was registered with the state's Department of Natural Resources, however, he said the bear was killed in the wild.

Meshbesher and the U.S. attorney's office worked out the plea bargain last week, and Gentry entered his new plea Monday morning before U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson, sitting in Duluth.

In return for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a felony count against Gentry.

"It was emphasized by the judge … that he was merely charged with an improper tagging where the bear was killed," Meshbesher said. "The bear was legally harvested.''

Greenly pleaded guilty to two felony counts. He is alleged to have set up illegal baiting stations inside Sandstone National Wildlife Refuge, then helped other hunters kill bears at the stations.

Both men will be sentenced later. Greenly could face up to five years' imprisonment on each count and a $400,000 fine.

Gentry has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine and not hunt in Minnesota for five years. He also will turn over the mounted bear, which Meshbesher said is in Gentry's home in Nashville.

While it may not rise to the collectibility status of Hank Williams' Martin D-28 guitar or a Lefty Frizzell rhinestone Nudie suit, the bear could wind up in the hands of a fan. Forfeited items are usually sold by the government at auction, Meshbesher said.

In a notice posted on Montgomery Gentry's Web site after the indictment in August, Johnny Dorris, whose Hallmark Direction Co. manages the band, lashed out at the "false accusations made against Troy in the indictment."

He said Gentry was "disheartened that he has been falsely accused" and shifted the blame to Greenly, saying Gentry had killed and tagged the bear "per the guidance of his professional guide."

Dorris could not be reached for comment Monday.

Gentry is an avid hunter, Meshbesher said. The band's 10-page contract rider even includes an "Attitude Enhancement" section that said any promoter booking the band in winter should provide for "snow skiing, snowmobiling, boating, hunting and/or fishing."

That makes me a bit sick.

A bit? This flat out disgusts me, I ahve enough issues with the "Game Ranch" concept but this is just plain offensive.

It is unfortunate that all he got hit with was a misdemeanor, the "guide" took the hit for the felonies.

Bear meat is pretty crappy.

...I'm not sure how I'd fare with 400lbs of bacon in the freezer.

I will kill and eat anything that walks - everything is potentially a meal to me -

Ever been up to the Vince Schutte Bear Sanctuary in Orr? It's close to where I hunt deer.

Beware of others of the same mind..........mmmmmmmm..Pinnacle Burgers

Hey it all boils down to this - in a pinch anything is potentially a meal - but bears are not on my menu...

I am still pissed that they shot the bear that ate Treadwell - he got exactly what he was looking for. To be with the bears forever...

Basically I love bears - cute - cuddly - deadly... What more could you ask.

Well, I don't like the meat, but I sure as heck had a BIG rifle with me in Alaska. I'd shoot a bear in a heartbeat if I had to, but I'm more likely to be probed by aliens than I am likely to "have" to shoot a bear.

Shooting a bear for no other reason to kill a bear is not admirable...