Bear Attack: Grizzly Mauls Hiker In Montana's Glacier National Park

WEST GLACIER, Mont. -- Glacier National Park says a grizzly bear mauled a 50-year-old hiker but the man was able to walk for help.

Spokeswoman Denise Germann says the St. Paul, Minn., man was hiking alone from Many Glacier to Piegan Pass around noon Friday when he encountered a mother grizzly with an older cub.

She says in a release that the animal attacked and bit the hiker on an arm, leg and foot and then shook him before leaving. The man had bear spray but couldn't use it in time.

Despite the wounds, the man walked until he met up with a ranger who called for help. The hiker was hospitalized in Browning, but his condition was not immediately available. He name was not released.

Germann says the trail from Piegan Pass to Feather Plum Falls has been closed as rangers investigate.

Park officials say cases of grizzly or black bears injuring people at Glacier occur less than once a year.

Comments

[Tresco]

01:13 PM on 08/08/2011

I hate bears. You can do all the right things and still get hurt or your stuff messed up. Who knows what they could be after sometimes? I have to admit though I'm more worried about people. Once you get out there a ways the people are good. Just getting away from or back into civilization is the dangerous part.

[carolla7411]

10:50 AM on 08/08/2011

why blame the bear that is where she lives , if you go where they live you have to expect the consiquences.

[Stephanie T]

07:30 AM on 08/08/2011

To all those who are wondering why this or anybody is out hiking alone or hiking at all, don't go to bed tonight! 450 people died from falls involving a bed in the USA! Stay away from hot food or drink because that killed 6 people in a year in the US. Don't drive a car! In short there is risk in everything we do. Know the risks minimize them as much as possible and live life.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_fal_inv_bed-mortality-fall-involving-bed

[kyosaku]

12:13 PM on 08/07/2011

"The huge bear jumped and tackled Jedediah to the ground. Jedediah's ribs were broken and members of his party witnessed Smith fighting the bear, which ripped open his side with its claws and took his head in its mouth. The bear suddenly retreated and the men ran to help Smith. They found his scalp and ear nearly ripped off, but he convinced a friend, Jim Clyman, to sew it loosely back on, giving him directions. The trappers fetched water, bound up his broken ribs, and cleaned his wounds. After recuperating from his bloody wounds and broken ribs, Jedediah wore his hair long to cover the large scar from his eyebrow to his ear."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedediah_Smith

I first read about this in a the book "A Life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific" by Robert Utley. The bears were also of great concern to the Lewis and Clark expedition. This is what grizzlys do. They are famous for it.

[Tresco]

01:19 PM on 08/08/2011

Jedediah Smith was a back country superhero. He told the guy to just sew the ear back on the best he could and that he understood that it wasn't going to be perfect. As long as it stays on and most of the bleeding stopped he was good to go. He should have his own action figure.

[kyosaku]

04:51 PM on 08/08/2011

Yeah! Good idea. Perhaps a series of action figures would encourage kids to learn a bit of history.

Those mountain men guys were, pound fer pound, tougher than a Marine Recon fire team. There are more than a few potential action heros in the book.

[stampy420]

11:08 AM on 08/07/2011

not supposed to hike alone, especially there!

[Joel Kent Melville]

11:08 AM on 08/07/2011

whats up with all these bear attacks? first a polar bear kills a teen now this happens? is it hunting season yet? I'd sure love to blast a grizzly in the head with a shotgun. I bet their meat tastes good.

[icarus85]

11:19 AM on 08/07/2011

Amen to that! After this attack I just don't know what to think about grizzlies anymore.. So i say to grizzly bears, within 200 years all remaining grizzlies should only be found in zoos and gated sanctuaries. that'll teach 'em

and in all seriousness, yea, i'd probably try bear meat

[Tresco]

01:25 PM on 08/08/2011

Bears are like crackheads. They will rip your lungs out for the skid mark in your underwear.

[kemarie21]

04:58 PM on 08/07/2011

It's very bad tasting actually. Very fatty and greasy it also has a game type of a flavore that just can't be cooked out. I've tried it a couple was and each time it was really bad. The meet also has a smell that isn't great.

[easyapple]

04:14 AM on 08/08/2011

Bear meat has to be prepared with taragon herbs and taragon mustard used to eat with the meat. The taste will be just fine.
The meat should be cooked through and through at no less than 150 degrees for at least ten minutes. Bears carry thriconosis.

[Tresco]

01:23 PM on 08/08/2011

They eat stuff a vulture wouldn't touch.

[American Person]

10:52 AM on 08/07/2011

WHY?

[Brian25]

11:00 AM on 08/07/2011

Because it is a bear thats what they do

[American Person]

11:33 AM on 08/07/2011

Then why would someone go walking alone unprotected knowing that they could encounter a bear or whatever?

[Greg285]

10:26 AM on 08/07/2011

Mother bear was doing what nature designed her to do and that's protect her young from ALL perceived threats!

[Tresco]

01:30 PM on 08/08/2011

The key word is "perceived". If you come around a curve and see a cub it might be too late. Don't run but GTFO and good luck.

[bdcelina777]

09:25 AM on 08/07/2011

It was Cantor in training for his face off next month with Boehner.

[triplettam]

09:06 AM on 08/07/2011

What was Sarah doing in Glacier? I thought she was on a bus somewhere.

[macmanchgo]

08:41 AM on 08/07/2011

Finally a National Park other than Yosemite that is making the news. And we went a whole week without someone falling to their death in Yosemite.

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:00 AM on 08/07/2011

I think that hiking by yourself in bear country is not something that's generally advisable to begin with, and if you're going to go and do it anyway, maybe you need to pay your fees and be 'target tested' by a certified park ranger, to make sure that you can safely handle the firearm you WILL be carrying, and of sufficient caliber to do more than just annoy and further enrage the bear.  Bears are large, powerful animals, that can run at speeds close to 30MPH at least for short distances. They can make a mess out of Hyundai, and a light snack out of you. It's not a kitty, don't try to pet it, or lay down in your submissive posture or whatever.  Don't feed the bears, and if you see one, well, gun oil is $3/bottle...

[Robert Frank]

09:31 AM on 08/07/2011

why not just stay the heLL out of wild areas? humans have stolen enough land from wild animals...and I don't care if its a national park...some parks should be made off-limits to humans

[armillariella]

10:03 AM on 08/07/2011

A gun would have been exactly as useful to this hiker as the bear spray that he was carrying, but could not reach in time, was. For all the publicity they generate, bear attacks that result in serious injury are extremely rare. I know bear attacks can happen, but given the number of people and domestic animals that are shot by hunters, I'd prefer to take my chances on the bears over having a bunch of trigger-happy armed urban cowboys shooting at every rustling sound they hear in the back country .

[MontanaSouth]

10:57 AM on 08/08/2011

Exactly!!

[heckmepitus]

06:46 AM on 08/07/2011

In bear country carry a gun.

[DegenerationX316]

08:47 AM on 08/07/2011

How about stay out the woods!

[heckmepitus]

09:01 AM on 08/07/2011

The bears do not stay in the woods.

[idelwind]

09:50 AM on 08/07/2011

You stand a better chance at hitting a charging grizzly w/ pepper spray than a firearm.

[heckmepitus]

10:00 AM on 08/07/2011

I never hike alone, at least two of us are armed at all times in bear country. BTW I shoot my weapon on a regular basis and handling it is second nature for me, not so with cans of pepper spray. We carry both.

[WhatDaBleep]

06:37 AM on 08/07/2011

Looks like the bears are striking back.

[HarryVarden]

06:27 AM on 08/07/2011

A case of not packing a .454 casul or 50 caliber handgun, both lethal handgun cartridges for bears.

[wbwbruce]

09:44 AM on 08/07/2011

Works well on !DIOTS ALSO.

[cuoi]

05:14 PM on 08/07/2011

Why not take some frag grenades and a LARS to make sure?

[a10flatliner]

04:29 PM on 08/16/2011

Cuol.. Great idea..lol.. Why not just land mines the park, put red ribbons on them to warn off the hikers, and clear up the whole problem? (grin)