A pair of Idaho bowhunters survived a griz attack Friday. They credit bear spray for their success in running it off.
ISLAND PARK — An Idaho hunter survived an attack by what he described to officials as a grizzly bear, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, was archery hunting with another hunter south of Mount Two Top near Island Park in Eastern Idaho on Friday morning. The hunters stumbled upon the bear in thick brush, and it charged at one hunter, knocking him to the ground. The man was able to deploy bear spray, a mace-like deterrent, before the attack. His hunting companion then deployed his own bear spray, and the animal fled.
Fish and Game said the victim was taken by ambulance to a Rexburg hospital after both hunters hiked out of the backcountry. Officials credited the bear spray for saving the hunters’ lives.
In a similar event the previous week, a grizzly bear attacked two archery hunters near Sandpoint when they crossed paths with her and her cubs. Those hunters also used bear spray and escaped the attack with minimal injuries.
This is the third reported grizzly attack in Idaho this year. In May, a Montana man hiking in the Henrys Lake area — near Mount Two Top — was attacked and bitten by a female grizzly bear. He survived the attack.
