For the third year in a row, a hunter shot and killed a grizzly in self-defense in the Island Park, Idaho, area, south of Yellowstone National Park early Saturday.
The hunter, who Idaho Fish and Game didn’t identify, was cleared of any wrongdoing by the agency.
“After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in self-defense as he was being charged by a bear from a close distance,” the agency stated.
Archery hunters shot and killed grizzlies in self-defense in the Island Park region on Sept. 1, 2024 and Sept. 1, 2023, according to reports.
Archery hunters are allowed to carry handguns for self-defense.
Charged In Thick Timber
The hunter was hiking through thick timber in the North Antelope Flats area of Island Park, on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest when he encountered the male grizzly, Fish and Game reported.
The bear came out of some brush, charging directly at the hunter, who shot it with his hunting rifle, according to the agency.
The hunter was not injured in the attack.
That Time Of Year
Conflicts between hunters and grizzlies usually occur because of a confluence of factors, bear safety expert Kim Titchener told Cowboy State Daily.
Hunters are often “alone or in small groups” moving quietly through the backcountry.
Meanwhile, grizzlies are in hyperphagia this time of year, she said. That’s essentially a pig-out mode, during which they gorge on up to 20,000 calories a day, trying to pile on fat for winter hibernation.
Grizzlies in some areas are also conditioned to associate hunters’ rifle shots with a potential food reward — either a freshly killed big-game carcass, or a gut pile, she said.
“Bears are aware of the hunting season. If they hear shots, they know there’s a kill, and bears will get on top of that kill,” Titchener said.
That’s a legitimate concern for hunters, Titchener said.
“We see maulings often enough. It (hunting) is one of the high-risk activities in grizzly country,” she said.
She’s the founder of the Bear Safety and More organization, which aims to reduce human-bear conflicts in Canada and the Western U.S.
Hunters are encouraged to stay keenly aware of their surroundings and to carry some sort of defense mechanism.
Titchener favors bear spray, arguing that it has a higher “rate of success” than guns in fending off grizzly attacks.
Others prefer firearms, and some backcountry enthusiasts like to carry both bear spray and a firearm.
Bear Attacks In Canada
There have been bear attacks in Canada as well this fall, Titchener said.
On Oct. 3, an elk hunter was severely mauled by a grizzly in British Columbia. The man was injured so badly, he hasn’t been able to convey much information to authorities, she said.
It’s thought he was charged by a female grizzly with cubs and “got a shot off” with his hunting rifle, she said.
The carcass of a female grizzly, thought to be the one that mauled the hunter, was later found in the area.
Two hikers were attacked recently near Prince George, British Columbia, and a hunter was attacked and injured in Alberta in September, Titchener said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
