The first incident occurred Saturday when a man hunting near in the Cabin Creek area of Gallatin County was calling for elk. He received minor injuries from a bear assumed to be a grizzly, said a Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks news release.
The second attack was Sunday morning. A bear believed to be a female grizzly with two cubs mauled a man who was bow hunting elk on the north side of Tim Miner basin north of Gardiner, the release said.
Both hunters were treated at local hospitals and released.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks did not attempt to locate the bears involved. The attacks were determined to be non-predatory and natural responses to close encounters between bears and humans. The bears would have been located if they were suspected repeat offenders or if they were injured during the incidents, said Andrea Jones, FWP spokesperson.
Jones said archery hunters are particularly at risk to encounter bears. Archers cover their scent and move through wilderness as quietly as possible so bears can be surprised by their presence.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks encourages hunters to stay alert while hunting in bear country by observing warning signs at trailheads, looking ahead for movement in brush and checking the ground for bear scat and tracks. Bear spray should be carried in an accessible place and hunting with a partner is encouraged.
Elk bugling, cow calling and areas with a high elk and deer hunting success rate attract bears. Circling ravens can indicate a kill site.
Hunters should carry everything they need to field dress game. If not all the meat can be packed out at once, hunters should remove the remaining meat from the kill site and hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and 150 yards from the gut pile.
When returning to the meat, hunters should check the area with binoculars for signs of bear activity. Hunters should not try to move a bear away from harvested animals.
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