A Shed Hunter Shot and Killed a Charging Grizzly Bear in Montana

A Montana man was charged by a grizzly bear Friday whereas searching for shed antlers close to Dupuyer. The person shot and killed the bear mid-charge, and he walked away from the incident unhurt, in line with a press launch from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.  This marks the primary deadly encounter with a bear in North America’s grizzly nation in 2025. The first run-in to take place in 2024 occurred in Montana as effectively, and it additionally concerned a shed hunter who killed the bear in self-defense. 

The person’s identification has not been launched, and a spokesperson with MFWP tells OL the company is unable to touch upon the incident, which is now being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a result of grizzly bears stay federally protected in Montana, as in different states, any killing of a grizzly requires a federal investigation whatever the circumstances.

Within the press launch, MFWP explains that the person was searching for shed antlers on a brushy hillside when he first noticed the bear. He tried to go away the world, prompting the bear to “cost him at shut vary.” The bear was “an grownup feminine grizzly in good situation with no historical past of battle,” in line with MFWP. A single yearling cub was discovered unhurt on the website, and the company says it doesn’t plan to intervene, which implies they assume the younger bear will survive by itself.   

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It’s unclear what sort of firearm the person used to shoot and kill the bear. It’s additionally unclear if the person was on public or personal land on the time he was charged. Dupuyer lies simply east of the Rocky Mountains within the north-central a part of Montana, and it falls inside the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, which is considered one of six grizzly bear recovery zones within the Decrease 48 designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The NCDE covers roughly 9,600 sq. miles and is residence to greater than 1,000 grizzlies, in line with the newest estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey.