An Eden Prairie man has admitted that he lied to federal authorities after killing a bear in a location in northern Wisconsin where he was not allowed to hunt.

Walter J. Palmer, 48, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Madison to making a false statement to a federal agent in connection with the kill.

Palmer's attorney, Doug Kelley of Minneapolis, said Palmer "unintentionally" shot the bear with a bow and arrow in the restricted area while on a guided hunt and then "lied about it later" to federal agents.

According to the U.S. attorney's office:

On Sept. 30, 2006, Palmer, with the help of others, hunted and killed a black bear near Phillips in Price County. That's about 40 miles by road outside of the location, known as Subzone A1, where he was licensed to hunt bears.

After the bear was killed, members of the hunting group noticed that Palmer's tag was for Subzone A1.

The hunting party members all agreed that if any authorities were to question where the bear had been killed, they would say it was within Subzone A1.

Palmer and others hauled the bear to a registration station in the subzone. At the station, Palmer falsely certified that the bear had been killed in the subzone. Palmer later helped get the carcass transported to Minnesota.

In two interviews the next month with a special agent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Palmer falsely stated that he believed he had shot the bear legally within the subzone.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15. While Palmer faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, Kelley said that his client is more likely to receive a sentence ranging from probation to up to six months in a halfway house. Kelley said the halfway house would allow Palmer to continue to carry out his dentistry practice in Bloomington.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482