Jay Cutler has gone from playing for the Bears ... to slaying them -- the ex-Chicago quarterback just revealed he shot and killed a wild one while out on a hunt in Montana.
The 40-year-old has been in Big Sky Country for the last few days enjoying the state's spring bear hunt ... and on Tuesday morning, he came away with a big trophy.
According to Outsider, Cutler shot a cinnamon black bear with a scoped bolt action rifle ... and it wasn't hard to see the former NFL star was thrilled with his catch.
Cutler posted a pic with the dead animal on his social media page ... writing, "MT bear hunt in the books" -- and saying he was off to go enjoy a beer now.
Cutler also had a memorable moment on the hunt over the weekend, he found a huge elk rack and skull that was nearly as big as him.
Cutler's become quite the outdoorsman in his retirement from football -- he posts about his hunts regularly. In fact, just last summer, he said he hunted down a deer that he had been stalking for some two years.
Tuesday's bear hunt, of course, sparked heated debates in Cutler's comment section ... but Outsider reports hunting black bears in Montana "is a crucial part of state conservation."