grizzly-bear-shot-killed-after-attacking-montana-hunters

Grizzly Bear Shot and Killed After Attacking Montana Hunters

On Saturday, a father and son in Montana were attacked and wounded by a grizzly bear during a hunting excursion before they shot and killed the animal.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) released a statement on the incident. FWP said the bear attacked the hunters near a gated road by Smith Lake, which is north of Whitefish Lake. The large grizzly charged out of a dense wooded area “at very close range” and attacked the father and son.

“The two individuals sustained significant injuries before they were able to shoot and kill the bear,” said FWP.

The two men who are from Flathead Valley were flown to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for treatment. Officials have not reported any further details on the father and son’s injuries.

After the incident, the Wildlife Human Attack Response Team discovered a deer carcass close to where the grizzly attacked the two hunters. Officials who analyzed the scene reported that the grizzly was an adult female around 20 years old. Additionally, they said the animal likely attacked the hunters to defend its food and her offspring. Authorities think the female bear had at least one cub with her at the time of the attack.

The FWP installed cameras in the area to help locate any grizzly cubs. However, as of now, officials are not closing off the area to other visitors or hunters.

“Bear attacks on humans are rare,” FWP said. “But, Montana is bear country with populations of grizzly and black bears that frequent higher and lower elevations.”

The enormous bears in the area become increasingly active in the fall searching for food before going into hibernation. The grizzlies typically begin to enter their dens for the winter in late November.

[H/T FOX News]

Grizzly Bears in the News

Last month, at Yellowstone National Park, footage captured a grizzly bear taking on an entire pack of wolves.

The wolf pack had just finished a successful bison hunt and began to rest after a long day. A grizzly bear smelled the freshly killed bison and tried to take the wolves’ meal.

What started as one huge grizzly bear against a few wolves changed quickly. The bear suddenly found itself challenged by most of the pack that consists of 20 wolves.

After a hard-fought battle, all of the animals walked away and the wolves kept their meal.