Image
Montana wildlife officials say a hunter who was attacked by a grizzly bear over the weekend shot and killed the animal.

The father of the 47-year-old Stevensville man reported hearing a gunshot just before finding his son with serious injuries on Sunday afternoon.

The son was taken to a Seattle hospital for treatment. His name and condition have not been released.

On Monday, the father led a bear specialist, state game wardens and U.S. Forest Service rangers into the area of extreme southwestern Montana where the attack occurred while the men were hunting black bear.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokeswoman Andrea Jones says the 10-year-old male grizzly died of a gunshot wound near where the hunter was mauled.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A 47-year-old Stevensville man suffers severe injuries during a bear attack in southwest Montana over the weekend.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said the man was bear hunting with his father in the Gravelly Mountains when he was attacked.

FWP officials are investigating the scene of the bear mauling, and are unsure if it was a black bear or grizzly.

They advise people out recreating to follow some simple tips to avoid encountering a bear.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks Information Officer Vivica Crowser said people can avoid a bear encounter by securing anything that could attract the animals.

"So, everything from food, which is really obvious, to other things that have aromas like toothpaste, just make sure it's in either a bear-proof container, and if you're at a drive-up campsite in a hard-sided vehicle," she said.

When out on trails, try to stay in areas that are as open as possible.

"Where you've got visibility, you can see what's around you, bears can get a sight of you and in most cases they don't want to have that contact either," Crowser said.

Crowser advises people to make noise while hiking, to let bears know your location.

"If you do happen to see a bear, just stop, keep your distance, slowly back away, if you've got little children, pick them up."

Crowser said you can also make yourself appear larger by wearing a backpack.

"Don't make eye contact, you can kind of make steady sounds as you back away, and in most cases, that's the end of it."

She said bear attacks are rare, but this time of year, females may show aggression towards humans to protect cubs, so recreators should carry bear spray and keep it somewhere easily accessible.

"And only use it if the bear is coming at you and once it gets really close, if it's too far away, you're going to waste that spray," Crowser said.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said the man attacked by the bear was stabilized at the hospital in Dillon and was air-lifted to a Seattle hospital for treatment of serious injuries.