BOSIE, IDAHO - Two men who killed a grizzly bear in Pend Oreille County are prohibited from hunting for two years and will be on probation for five years, a federal judge ruled this week.

Brandon D. Rodeback, 26, and Kurtis L. Cox, 30, of Moses Lake, killed the bear Oct. 1, 2007, while hunting in a designated grizzly bear recovery zone near Ione.

They skinned and buried the bear in Moses Lake. A tip to authorities led to federal charges in July.

The men, who told authorities they thought the animal was a black bear, pleaded guilty Monday to transporting wildlife against federal law, a misdemeanor.

In addition to probation and forfeiture of hunting rights, Rodeback and Cox will pay a $3,000 fine and $14,857 to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for endangered species recovery projects, according to court documents.