BOZEMAN – Bob Legasa of Idaho was attacked by a sow grizzly bear while hunting in Beattie Gulch near Gardiner on Saturday and is currently recovering in Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) said the bear has no past behavioral issues and is not currently considered a problem bear.
FWP works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what to do with bear incidents like this attack because they are listed as threatened on the Endangered Species List. FWP does not plan to trap the bear.
“We have a survey going on, a flight coming up in the next few days, and we’ll be looking into those areas to see if there’s anything unusual,” FWP Regional Supervisor Mark Deleray said.
“The circumstances of this attack were relatively normal behavior for a female grizzly and a cub. Unfortunately, the hunter startled the bear from a close distance and this is the behavior and response we would expect from a bear.,” he added.
Deleray pointed out that with general hunting season opening this weekend, hunters should always carry bear spray with them and never hunt alone.
Click here to learn more about how to “Be Bear Aware” in Montana.
-Emma Hamilton reporting for MTN News
