A nearly 700-pound grizzly bear charged and attacked a hunter in Montana Tuesday afternoon in Teton County east of Choteau, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP). The upland bird hunter was on private property with his wife and dogs, and the group was able to leave the area and notify authorities after the attack.
The unnamed man was left with non-life threatening injuries after the bear "charged out of thick brush at close range." The hunter reportedly fired both a shotgun and handgun at the bear, wounding it and ending the attack.
The Associated Press interviewed Dave Hagengruber, spokesperson for the FWP, who filled in a few more details. He mentioned that the hunter's dogs went on point, and when the man went to flush the birds, the bear emerged from the brush, knocking the man to the ground and stepping on him.
After consulting with the US. Fish and Wildlife Service, FWP bear management specialists, game wardens, and Teton County deputies returned to the site and executed a search, locating the bear and euthanizing it later that afternoon. Hagengruber said a drone was used to aid the search.
The bear, which weighed 677 pounds, had no known history of human interaction or conflict and had never been encountered by bear managers. Evidence at the site pointed towards a surprise encounter as the motivation for the attack.
The man had no claw or bite wounds, but spent Tuesday night in the hospital, according to Hagengruber.
FWP suggests hunters carry bear spray and keep a keen awareness of their surroundings, but surprise encounters like this can and do happen. Loud noises, even shouting, can be an effective short-term deterrence. For bird hunters specifically, FWP advises extra care while "walking in and along areas of brush because grizzly bears use thick cover for day beds - especially along waterways." For more info on staying safe in bear country, check out the FWP website.
