Idaho Bowhunters Kill Grizzly in Self-Defense During ‘Surprise Encounter’ Near Yellowstone

A bowhunter in Idaho was attacked by a grizzly bear Sunday while elk hunting with a friend on public land. The bowhunter was injured but survived the attack, and officials say the two men were able to shoot and kill the adult boar with their sidearms. 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 been publicly identified yet.

IDFG says the “surprise encounter” happened Sunday morning on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The two hunters were searching for elk west of Henrys Lake in Island Park, which lies just to the west of Yellowstone National Park and in the heart of grizzly country. They encountered the bear around 7 a.m. near the 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 drew their sidearms and shot the bear “from a very close distance,” killing it. It’s unclear what kind of handguns they used, and an IDFG spokesperson was unable to provide any additional details about the incident to Outdoor Life on Tuesday.

The hunters then called 911. The bowhunter who was bitten was transported out of the woods via helicopter 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 that the men shot the bear “in defense-of-life,” which is permitted under Idaho law, neither hunter will face charges or penalties for killing the grizzly.   

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“I am extremely grateful that both of these individuals survived this encounter,” said IDFG regional supervisor Matt Pieron. “I have had the opportunity to speak with the injured hunter and his family and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma these two hunters experienced.”

Pieron also told East Idaho News that Sunday’s incident is 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 cattle conflict.”

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

Pieron explained that this amount of conflict is unsurprising given the number of grizzlies that inhabit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which is one of six grizzly bear recovery zones established by the USFWS and is home to more than 700 grizzlies. This population is also expanding. Earlier this summer, IDFG confirmed a grizzly bear west of I-15 for the first time since the species was reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park.

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“We certainly have a growing grizzly bear population across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Pieron said, “and what we have been seeing here is in line with that.”  

Pieron added that Sunday’s attack likely would have been far worse had the bowhunter been by himself.

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