Idaho archers kill grizzly in self-defense in ‘surprise encounter’ near Yellowstone

An Idaho archer was attacked by a grizzly bear while he was hunting elk with a friend on public land on Sunday. The archer was injured but survived the attack. Officials said the two men were able to shoot and kill the adult boar with their handguns. Conservation officers determined through an investigation that the hunters acted in self-defense. according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Neither hunter has yet been publicly identified.

IDFG says the “surprise encounter” occurred Sunday morning in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The two hunters were hunting for elk west of Henrys Lake in Island Park, which is just west of Yellowstone National Park and in the heart of grizzly country. They encountered the bear around 7 a.m. near Divide Creek Road, according to East Idaho News.

That’s when “one of the hunters was knocked down and bitten by the bear,” according to a statement from IDFG. Both men then pulled out their handguns and shot the bear “at very close range.” It’s unclear what kind of handguns they were using, and an IDFG spokesperson was unable to provide additional details about the incident to Outdoor living on tuesday.

The hunters then called 911. The bitten archer was airlifted from the woods to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Idaho’s grizzly bears remain protected under state and federal law. But since investigators determined the men shot the bear “in defense of life,” which is allowed under Idaho law, neither hunter will be charged or punished for killing the grizzly.

Read more: Hunter survives brown bear attack, gunshot wound on Kenai Peninsula

“I am extremely grateful that these two individuals survived this encounter,” said IDFG Regional Supervisor Matt Pieron. “I have had the opportunity to speak with the injured fighter and his family and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma that these two fighters have gone through.”

Pieron also told East Idaho News Sunday’s incident marks the first time this year that a grizzly has attacked a human in the area. It’s far from the first encounter, however, and Pieron said it’s been “a very busy year for grizzly bear activity, especially with livestock conflicts.”

In May, IDFG officials worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to euthanize a grizzly bear and two cubs in Island Park who were food-conditioned and acting aggressively toward people. And on June 6, a man in Island Park shot and killed an attacking grizzly bear in self-defense while unloading groceries in his driveway.

Pieron explained that this level of conflict is not surprising given the number of grizzlies living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of six grizzly bear recovery zones established by the USFWS and home to more than 700 grizzlies. This population is also growing. Earlier this summer, IDFG confirmed a grizzly bear west of I-15 for the first time since the species was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park.

Read more: Are grizzly bear attacks really increasing?

“We certainly have a growing population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Pieron said, “and what we’re seeing here is consistent with that.”

Pieron added that Sunday’s attack would likely have been much worse if the archer had been alone.

“They hunted together, and they were able to help each other out,” Pieron said. “It’s always a good idea to have at least two of you, if not more, which is just a really good rule of thumb in the backcountry period, whether you’re hunting or doing anything else in grizzly bear country.”