Adult male grizzly bear attacks archery hunter in Island Park
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ISLAND PARK — An archery hunter is still alive after being mauled by a grizzly bear Sunday morning west of Henry’s Lake in Island Park. The man was hunting elk with a friend when he was attacked by an adult male grizzly just after 7 a.m. in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, according to Idaho Fish and Game.
“It was a surprise encounter, and the bear did attack,” reported Idaho Fish and Game Upper Snake Region Regional Director Matt Pieron. “… (It) only made contact with one of the hunters.”
The bear died after the hunter’s partner shot the grizzly with a firearm in self-defense, Pieron said.
The injured individual was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
Idaho Fish and Game cannot release any information on the condition of the hunter at this time.
Neither the hunters nor Idaho Fish and Game staff observed any other bears at the scene of the incident, though other grizzlies commonly visit the area.
“There are a lot of grizzly bears in that area,” Pieron said.
This is the first reported grizzly bear attack on a human in the region this year.
“It has been a very busy year this year for grizzly bear activity, especially with cattle conflict … on the Idaho side west of the (Continental) Divide,” Pieron said. “… We’ve had cattle conflicts all over Island Park this year.”
More than 1,000 grizzly bears currently live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Their range is expanding as Idaho Fish and Game recorded the first documentation of grizzly bears west of Interstate-15 this year.
“We certainly have a growing grizzly bear population across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and what we have been seeing here is in line with that,” Pieron said. “There’s a lot of bears, and there’s a lot of cattle in that part of the world, and so there’s conflict there. Then there’s a lot of people recreating and hunting up there.”
Recreators are encouraged to travel in large groups, make noise and carry bear spray when they’re in the woods.
“Bear spray is only good if you can get to it immediately. If it’s not available – if it’s in your backpack – it’s like not having any,” he said.
Pieron acknowledged that hunters often strive to be stealthy, but should be aware of the risks.
“It’s always good to make noise when you’re in the woods,” he said.
He credits the hunters involved in Sunday’s attack for traveling in pairs.
“They were hunting together, and so they were able to come to each other’s aid. Had either one of them been by themselves, this could have turned out differently,” Pieron said. “It’s always a good idea to be in at least pairs –— if not more — which is just a really good rule of thumb in the backcountry period, whether you’re hunting or doing anything in grizzly bear country.”
Idaho Fish and Game personnel arrived on the scene as quickly as possible, coordinating with Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service teams.
“Our officers also interviewed the hunters and the rest of their hunting party at their camp,” the regional director said. “My staff then went into the scene, and they did recover the grizzly bear. They did confirm that the grizzly bear was dead, and they have removed the grizzly bear from the scene.”
The officers are also working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as grizzlies fall in its jurisdiction under the Endangered Species Act.
“We do take these things seriously,” Pieron reiterated. “We are concerned about citizens and their safety, and we’re concerned about the gentleman that was involved in this today.”
EastIdahoNews.com will follow this story and provide additional information as it becomes available.