Adult male grizzly bear attacks archery hunter in Island Park

This video captured an big grizzly roaming westbound of Henrys Lake connected Wednesday, August 28, 2024, successful Island Park. Wildlife officials person not confirmed whether this is nan aforesaid carnivore progressive successful Sunday’s attack. | Courtesy Austen Stevens

An archery huntsman is still live aft being mauled by a grizzly carnivore Sunday greeting westbound of Henry’s Lake successful Island Park. The man was hunting elk pinch a friend erstwhile he was attacked by an big antheral grizzly conscionable aft 7 a.m. successful nan Caribou-Targhee National Forest, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

“It was a astonishment encounter, and nan carnivore did attack,” reported Idaho Fish and Game Upper Snake Region Regional Director Matt Pieron. “… (It) only made interaction pinch 1 of nan hunters.”

The carnivore died aft nan hunter’s partner changeable nan grizzly pinch a firearm successful self-defense, Pierson said.

The injured individual was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

Idaho Fish and Game cannot merchandise immoderate accusation connected nan information of nan huntsman astatine this time.

Neither nan hunters nor Idaho Fish and Game unit observed immoderate different bears astatine nan segment of nan incident, though different grizzlies commonly sojourn nan area.

“There are a batch of grizzly bears successful that area,” Pieron said.

This is nan first reported grizzly carnivore onslaught connected a quality successful nan region this year.

“It has been a very engaged twelvemonth this twelvemonth for grizzly carnivore activity, particularly pinch cattle conflict … connected nan Idaho broadside westbound of nan (Continental) Divide,” Pierson said. “… We’ve had cattle conflicts each complete Island Park this year.”

More than 1,000 grizzly bears presently unrecorded successful nan Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem crossed Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Their scope is expanding arsenic Idaho Fish and Game recorded nan first archiving of grizzly bears westbound of Interstate-15 this year.

“We surely person a increasing grizzly carnivore organization crossed nan Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and what we person been seeing present is successful statement pinch that,” Pieron said. “There’s a batch of bears, and there’s a batch of cattle successful that portion of nan world, and truthful there’s conflict there. Then there’s a batch of group recreating and hunting up there.”

Recreators are encouraged to recreation successful ample groups, make sound and transportation carnivore spray erstwhile they’re successful nan woods.

“Bear spray is only bully if you tin get to it immediately. If it’s not disposable – if it’s successful your backpack – it’s for illustration not having any,” he said.

Pieron acknowledged that hunters often strive to beryllium stealthy, but should beryllium alert of nan risks.

“It’s ever bully to make sound erstwhile you’re successful nan woods,” he said.

He credits nan hunters progressive successful Sunday’s onslaught for walking successful pairs.

“They were hunting together, and truthful they were capable to travel to each other’s aid. Had either 1 of them been by themselves, this could person turned retired differently,” Pieron said. “It’s ever a bully thought to beryllium successful astatine slightest pairs –— if not much — which is conscionable a really bully norm of thumb successful nan backcountry period, whether you’re hunting aliases doing thing successful grizzly carnivore country.”

Idaho Fish and Game unit arrived connected nan segment arsenic quickly arsenic possible, coordinating pinch Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service personnel.

“Our officers besides interviewed nan hunters and nan remainder of their hunting statement astatine their camp,” nan location head said. “My unit past went into nan scene, and they did retrieve nan grizzly bear. They did corroborate that nan grizzly carnivore was dead, and they person removed nan grizzly carnivore from nan scene.”

The officers are besides moving pinch nan U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arsenic grizzlies autumn successful its jurisdiction nether nan Endangered Species Act.

“We do return these things seriously,” Pierson reiterated. “We are concerned astir citizens and their safety, and we’re concerned astir nan man that was progressive successful this today.”

EastIdahoNews.com will travel this communicative and supply further accusation arsenic it becomes available.