A George County man who pleaded guilty to killing a Louisiana black bear told a federal judge he shot the bear in self-defense.

Forty-six-year-old Darryl Eubanks pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to killing and transporting the black bear, an endangered species.

Assistant U. S. Attorney David Fulcher said Eubanks shot the bear twice while he was hunting deer with his dogs between Dec. 24, 2007, and Jan. 18, 2008.

Fulcher says Eubanks loaded the bear on a trailer to dump the corpse.

Eubanks was arrested June 3 by officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.