Montana Turkey Hunter Charged by Grizzly at 10 Yards
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.16.13
A man traveling near Kalispell, Montana came upon an unwelcome sight when he discovered a deer carcass while turkey hunting last Saturday. According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, an adult female grizzly and two yearlings were in the area feeding on the deer. They had moved some distance away when the hunter approached, but reportedly the adult bear charged the hunter at close range. The man then discharged his shotgun towards the grizzly from about 10 yards away. Wildlife officials believe that the bear was not hit. A search of the area yielded no traces of blood but tracks were later found. A helicopter sweep of the location could not find the grizzlies.
“The bear was charging him at about 10 yards,” John Fraley of the FWP told KRTV. “We don’t know if it was a false charge or a true charge, and (he) fired his shotgun in the bear’s direction. From everything that we could find out, the bear was not hit. Actually we got a call from another hunter in that area, that the next day, saw tracks that fit the description of these bears, a large adult and two younger bears.”
In either event, the bear and its cubs fled the area afterwards. FWP officials stationed cameras next to the deer carcass to monitor bear activity, which caught a 400-500-pound male bear on video.
