Grizzly bear attacks and injures archery hunter in “surprise encounter” in Idaho

An archery hunter was injured in a grizzly bear attack on Sunday in a remote part of northern Idaho, wildlife officials said. 

The hunter encountered the bear while out with a friend near Henrys Lake in Island Park, a relatively isolated area some 60 miles west of Yellowstone National Park that is known for its natural landscape, according to Idaho Fish and Game. He was hunting elk in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest when the grizzly attacked, the agency said. 

Officials said the hunter was knocked down and bitten by the adult bear. The hunter and his friend used sidearms to fire shots at the animal, which stopped the attack from progressing and ultimately killed the bear.

The hunters called 911 and responders transported the injured person by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment. Idaho Fish and Game said conservation officers were able to confirm that the hunters “acted in self-defense during a surprise encounter with the bear from a very close distance,” after conducting an investigation into the incident.

The hunter’s injuries are not considered life-threatening.

“I am extremely grateful that both of these individuals survived this encounter,” said Matt Pieron, a regional supervisor at Idaho Fish and Game, in a statement. “I have had the opportunity to speak with the injured hunter and his family and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma these two hunters experienced.” 

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest is a vast wilderness area that stretches across eastern Idaho to the borders of Montana and Wyoming. After being hunted for decades to extinction across the American West, grizzly bears, also called brown bears, that live in the contiguous U.S. are now found only in portions of those states and Washington. Estimates suggest there are at least 1,900 of them. Grizzly bears are more common farther north, through western Canada and up to Alaska.    

Grizzly bears are protected by federal law under the Endangered Species Act, which means it is illegal to hunt them. The animals are also protected by Idaho law, although the state government has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to either revise or remove the distinction of grizzly bears living in the lower 48 states as threatened or endangered. Idaho Gov. Brad Little argued earlier this year that federal regulations “are simply unnecessary for grizzly bear population success in our state.” 

In general, brown bear attacks on humans are rare, with between 11 and 12 on average recorded annually in North America, according to the National Institutes of Health. But they do sometimes occur. Also on Sunday, a man was hospitalized with several severe injuries after being attacked by a grizzly bear attack near Calgary, in the Canadian province of Alberta, the Canadian news outlet CBC reported, citing provincial emergency services personnel. Those injuries could be life-threatening, according to CBC.