Reading the story there seems to be some conflicting information on just what happened.
But the short story is a bowhunter shot a female grizzly, with a pistol, who may (or may not) have had 2 cubs with her, before climbing a tree.
Outdoor Life magazine is covering the story:
www.outdoorlife.com
Officials dispatched the injured sow and confirmed that it was an adult female, but they were unable to find any cubs nearby. Photo by NPS
But the short story is a bowhunter shot a female grizzly, with a pistol, who may (or may not) have had 2 cubs with her, before climbing a tree.
Outdoor Life magazine is covering the story:
Bowhunter Rescued by Helicopter After He Was Treed by a Grizzly in Montana
A bowhunter in Montana who was charged by a grizzly bear and chased up a tree was rescued by helicopter on Saturday.
www.outdoorlife.com
Bowhunter Rescued by Helicopter After He Was Treed by a Grizzly in Montana
State officials say the man shot and injured the sow, which was still nearby when they arrived
Posted on Oct 9, 2024 1:52 PM EDT
A Montana bowhunter had to be rescued from a tree by helicopter Saturday after a close encounter with a grizzly bear. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks explains in a press release that the hunter was in the Gallatin Range backcountry when he encountered the sow grizzly with two large cubs at close range. The hunter climbed a nearby tree but the sow charged him anyway, according to MFWP. The hunter shot the bear from the tree, and the injured sow remained nearby while he waited in the tree and called for help.
MFWP officials were notified of the incident and they dispatched a helicopter to the location that afternoon. State grizzly bear specialists and game wardens found the hunter uninjured and still in the tree, and they helped transport him to safety. Officials also found and dispatched the injured sow nearby, but they were unable to find any cubs or cub tracks in the area.
The hunter called 911 to report his location around 2 p.m., according to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, which received the initial call. The GCSO gave its own summary of events in an Oct. 7 Facebook post, noting that “the hunter defended themself by shooting the bear with a pistol before climbing the tree.”
This is slightly different from MFWP’s version, in which the hunter climbed the tree before he shot the bear. Montana officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday to provide clarity on the sequence of events.
It’s unlikely the agency would provide additional details about the encounter anyway, since the incident being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This is standard procedure with incidents involving humans and grizzly bears, as Montana grizzlies are still federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The USFWS has been fairly busy with these investigations so far this year. A similar incident took place in Idaho earlier this hunting season, when two bowhunters shot and killed an attacking boar grizzly near Henrys Lake west of Yellowstone National Park. Saturday’s encounter in the Gallatin Range marks the third time (and the second this elk season) that hunters have shot and killed grizzly bears in Montana in 2024. STORY CONTINUES AT THE LINK ABOVE