 north of Yellowstone National Park. The US Forest Service implemented an emergency closure in the area near the attack while authorities seek the bear, which they said may have been shot. Grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states. The Montana Department of Fish and Game warned in a press release issued Friday that the likelihood of encounters between grizzlies and humans is increasing as the bear population grows more widespread in Montana. 'This time of year is when bears are active for longer periods as they consume more food in preparation for hibernation. This period overlaps with hunting season and other fall recreation activities,' the agency said. The attack came less than a week after authorities killed another grizzly after it broke into a house near West Yellowstone over the weekend. That grizzly had fatally mauled a woman on a forest trail west of Yellowstone National Park in July){kind=link}
The hunter – who has not yet been identified by authorities – had been tracking the deer in the Custer Gallatin National Forest on Friday when the attack occurred. An emergency helicopter rushed the hunter to a local hospital
Officials in Montana are searching for a grizzly bear that brutally mauled a hunter that was out tracking deer Friday. The attack has also prompted authorities to close part of the US National Forest where the attack occurred.
The hunter – who has not yet been identified by authorities – had been tracking the deer in the Custer Gallatin National Forest when the attack just before 1.45pm on Friday, according to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s office.
Members of the hunting crew called 911 and soon emergency crews came to the assistance using a helicopter ambulance to fly the hunter to a nearby hospital, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
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