Man charged for shooting at hunters

Two waterfowl hunters who boated through another man’s duck decoys were shot at on Fennon Slough, and the shooter is now facing felony criminal endangerment charges.

Brad Bell is facing up to 10 years in jail and a $50,000 fine after allegedly shooting at brothers Jeremy Buchholz and Jason Buchholz on Oct 3, according to Flathead County District Court records. 

The Buchholz brothers were boating up the Flathead River when they drove their boat near another hunter’s decoys. According to court documents, Bell then fired his shotgun at the brothers, striking them and their boat. The men returned to the Sportsman’s Bridge river access near Bigfork and called sheriff’s deputies. Court records say the men were only 100 feet from Bell when he fired his gun.

Bell told deputies that he was shooting at a duck and not at the brothers. Bell was charged last week in district court. An arrest warrant has been issue for Bell, with a bond set at $5,000 by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office.