A hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear in defense of life on May 16 after it charged him and his young son from a short distance while they were hunting black bears. The man and son were not harmed. Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials said they were near the Cave Falls Road on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest outside of Ashton.
The hunters were sitting on the edge of a meadow in the national forest when a grizzly began crossing the field. The bear seemed to pick up their scent. The grizzly then changed direction and headed directly toward the two hunters. As the hunters attempted to alert the grizzly to their presence, it began to charge directly toward them. The man fired at the charging bear with his sidearm before quickly switching to his hunting rifle, killing it within 5 yards of where he was standing.
The man called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able and reported the incident. Fish and Game officials were notified and immediately responded. After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined the hunter acted in defense of life, as he and his son were being charged by a bear from a close distance.
With this determination, the man will not face charges for killing the bear. Grizzly bears still are protected by federal and state laws. It is illegal to shoot, harm or kill a grizzly bear “unless the action is defense of your or another’s life,” according to Fish and Game.
Fish and Game officials remind hunters that grizzly bears might be encountered in the Greater Yellowstone area and parts of northern Idaho. Grizzly bears also occasionally visit as far south as the Grangeville area and into the Salmon Region in central Idaho.
