Illinois woman charged with grizzly encounter

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 8/5/21

When entering Yellowstone National Park, visitors are educated about the proper (and legal) distance to stay from wildlife—100 yards from bears, wolves and nesting birds. A visitor from Illinois that disobeyed these rules and endangered herself was charged with one count of willfully remaining, approaching, and photographing wildlife within 100 yards and one count of feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing wildlife. Samantha R. Dehring, 25, of Carol Stream, Illinois, was caught on camera approaching a sow grizzly and her cubs back on May 10. The video shows others moving away as she remained in place, filming the bear as the sow bluff charges forward, her cubs within sight. Dehring faces up to a year in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.