Mama grizzly bear chases hunter up a tree in Montana, later killed by wildlife officials

A grizzly bear was shot and later killed after chasing a hunter up a tree in Montana, authorities said.

The animal, a mother bear with two cubs, charged the unidentified man while he was hunting by the Hidden Lakes in Gallatin County, Montana, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. He shot the bear with a pistol before climbing a tree, but the wounded bear remained in the area. 

County dispatchers received a 911 call from the hunter at 2:08 p.m. on Saturday. The man waited in the tree until a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks helicopter arrived on the scene. 

When the Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel arrived, they “dispatched the wounded grizzly,”  the sheriff’s office said, and rescued the hunter. He was not injured, and was transported out of the area on the helicopter. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office assembled a search and rescue team, but it was not needed to find the man. 

The Hidden Lakes are a series of eight lakes on the west side of the Gallatin Range, a part of the Rocky Mountains. The area is home to grizzly bears and wolves. Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said that the incident should serve as a reminder for hunters to be aware of their surroundings, to carry bear spray, avoid signs of bears, and hunt in groups and carry a communication device to call for help if necessary. 

Grizzly bears are considered a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There are fewer than 2,000 verified grizzly bears in the continental United States, with most living in “recovery zones” that have been established to help the population recover. Another 30,000 grizzly bears are estimated to live in Alaska, with 3,000 living in Katmai National Park, the home of “Fat Bear Week.” 

Multiple bear attacks have been reported in Montana in recent months. In late September, a man was attacked by a bear and injured, then walked over a mile to reach a rescue helicopter. In mid-August, a three-year-old girl was attacked by a black bear while she was in a tent at a private campground just north of Yellowstone National Park. A bear believed to be involved was captured and euthanized hours after the incident. 

In July, a man shot and killed a grizzly bear after it charged him while he was picking berries. Another grizzly bear was killed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials that same day after it broke into a home.