The bear’s collar was found cut along the Chilkat River.

Authorities are investigating the possible illegal shooting of a tagged brown bear sow killed near 33 Mile Haines Highway last month, its collar found cut from the animal and buried along the Chilkat River.

The sow was part of Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s five-year research study in which 21 bears in the Chilkat Valley and Skagway were outfitted with GPS collars to…