Hunter mauled by grizzly north of Gardiner

By JESSICA MAYRER Chronicle Staff Writer

A hunter was mauled by a female grizzly bear traveling with a cub north of Gardiner Sunday on the first day of big-game season.

The man’s legs were injured in the morning attack and he was taken to the hospital, Kevin Frey, bear specialist for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said Sunday afternoon.

“With all of the hunters out there, it’s just a cautionary heads-up that the bears are still active,” Frey said.

Another hunter helped the injured man, whose name has yet to be released, to safety. He was then taken by ambulance to the hospital, Frey said.

This is the first reported bear mauling in the area this fall, Frey said. That contrasts with last year, when an abundant apple crop near Gardiner made the area attractive for grizzlies. Several bear-human conflicts erupted as a result, Frey said.

Now that food sources are drying up and bears are scrambling to gain weight before going into hibernation, the lumbering creatures are returning to the area of abundance remembered from last season, Frey said.

That, coupled with the high-protein remains left behind by hunters’ game, makes the area a popular place to forage, Frey said.

“They’re totally focused on gaining weight for the year,” Frey said. “This is the last real active phase.”

Jessica Mayrer can be reached at jmayrer@dailychronicle.com or 582-2635.

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