A Stevensville bird hunter was mauled by a grizzly bear Monday afternoon along Dupuyer Creek about 15 miles southwest of Valier. The hunter, whose name and age were not immediately available, was taken by ambulance to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening. The bear also was apparently not injured or shot during the brief encounter. The hunter and three others were bird hunting on private land along the thick brushy bottom of Dupuyer Creek when he apparently surprised a lone grizzly. “He probably walked upon a bear in a day bed,” said Gary Olson, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist. “This is really thick brush with willows, cottonwoods and buffalo berry along a beaver dam.” Olson said the encounter took just seconds to unfold: The hunter at first thought he had surprised a deer and it ran over him. Instead it was a grizzly that knocked the man down, briefly mauled him and took off running. The other hunters didn’t see the attack. FWP in coordination with the Pondera County Sheriff’s Department and a federal trapper will set culvert traps to try to capture and move the bear. Bird hunters are reminded to take precautions when hunting creek bottoms in grizzly country, especially along the Rocky Mountain Front. This time of year, bears are in a constant search for food before their winter sleep. Bird hunters should be careful around dense cover, where bears may be bedding during the day. Sportsmen should make sure they make plenty of noise and not hunt alone.
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