Grizzly catch...

[Bayedup]

News Release – 6/28/09
Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Three eastern Idaho bear hunters got an unpleasant surprise Sunday morning, June 28, when their hounds surrounded a female grizzly with cubs.

The bear took after the hunters, knocked one man down, bit him on the right arm and tossed him around.

The names of the three men haven’t been released. All are from the Idaho Falls area and two are brothers. The victim was transported to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg. He suffered lacerations to his right arm but no other apparent injuries.

Idaho Fish and Game officials are in the area looking for the bear. But they warn area residents, other hunters and anyone in the backcountry that the bear may be wounded and dangerous.

The three men were hunting black bears with hounds about 6 a.m. Sunday, on Bishop Mountain near Harriman State Park.

They released their hounds on a scent, and the dogs soon surrounded what the men thought was a black bear. When the men arrived they quickly realized they had a grizzly.


The bear charged. The men ran.

When the bear knocked the victim down, his brother struggled to get his pistol out of his backpack. With the bear on top of his brother, he fired a shot from his .44 Magnum from five to eight feet away.

The bear let go, got up and ran off.

The man was not sure whether his shot hit the bear or not.

“We don’t know whether the bear was hit, if we have a wounded bear, a dead bear or an unharmed bear,” said John Hanson, Idaho Fish and Game regional conservation officer from St. Anthony.

The hunters reported they saw at least two cubs with the female grizzly.

Bear researchers are aware of a radio-collared bear with three cubs in the area. It is unknown at this time if it might be the same bear. But Fish and Game biologists are looking for a signal from a radio collar.

Officials with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service are assisting with the investigation.

[BlacktailStalker]

Sounds a little western

[pegleg]

poor bastards! wonder what kinda hell game and fish is going to cause for them. and how it will affect hunting bear with hounds. i can hear the alfalfa eaters saying oh poor momma bear and those sweet little babies all scared and worried over their dear sweet mum. Then they'll start bashing the selectivity of hound hunting and how they are ravenous beast terrorizing every living forest creature.. this would be a good time to have a large well organized western houndsmen's association for support and damage control. I Hope it works out for them

[houndogger]

How did the dogs make out?

[chilcotin hillbilly]

That is something alot of us have to deal with on a daily basis, Everytime you dump your dogs on a strike it makes you go hmmmm. Then you knock on wood.

[Smiley]

Chilcoten that is how it is where they are hunting they are very close to Yellowstone park .

[Mike Leonard]

Let's just hope she is not wounded and this thing fades away if not it will be like a loaded clip of ammo for the anti-bear hound movements. Shades of Montana and Wyoming other Griz. states.

[Bayedup]

Sounds like as of today the sow is still moving and ok, she is collared and they spent the day beeping her.

[arizonabeagle]

i dont see how you couldnt hit a grizzly bear?
ha naw i probly woulda crapped myself if it was on top of my buddy

like mike says
hope it all just fade away or you boys might be in for some great new rules when it come to runnin bears with hounds

[chancemarquette]

i dont see how you couldnt hit a grizzly bear?

thats what i thought untill i came face to face with one when i was elk hunting and froze up so hard i forgot i had a gun luckily it went the other way... you never what you would do until it happens to you.

[arizonabeagle]

i dont see how you couldnt hit a grizzly bear?

thats what i thought untill i came face to face with one when i was elk hunting and froze up so hard i forgot i had a gun luckily it went the other way... you never what you would do until it happens to you.

i hear ya man
i aint lyin i'd probly soil myself hahaha