Donald Sanford Hospitalized After Alaska Bear Mauling

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A 65-year-old man is hospitalized after being mauled by a grizzly bear while hunting in Alaska.

The Anchorage Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/qPd4ze) that 65-year-old Donald "Skip" Sanford was attacked Monday near the Maclaren River Lodge off the Denali Highway.

Rescuers say Sanford told them the bear charged at him, head down.

Joe Snyder helped tend to Sanford's wounds. He says the hunter has deep bites to the back of his skull, and one ear is torn. Alaska State Troopers say the wounds don't appear to be life-threatening.

Sanford had to walk more than a mile back to camp, and friends floated him partway to the lodge. A speed boat took him the rest of the way.

Sanford was then flown to an Anchorage hospital by helicopter.

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Comments

[wtf is this]

07:00 PM on 09/25/2011

BTW, the Montana hunter wasn't killed by the bear. He was killed by his hunting partner.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2016301708_apushuntergrizzly.html?prmid=obinsite

[J0E1]

02:47 PM on 09/22/2011

For some reason, the comments on this site no longer shock me.  The same people who want to abolish the death penalty and call those who celebrate the death of a convicted rapist and killer sick and twisted, are the ones on here who are celebrating this mauling and calling for the death of people who kill animals.  Unbelievable.  You guys are sick and twisted.

[grizzly bear55]

08:04 AM on 09/22/2011

Humans never learn, they walk to Grizzly land oblivious to the danger until they get slapped few times by the King of the Forest.

[Neil20]

03:42 AM on 09/22/2011

Like in the earlier news some months ago about a couple who got mauled by a bear, I would again repeat the same thing. The man deserves what he got!. He had no business to be in grizzly bear territory. He was a hunter and and roamed around with a gun in his hand with the sole motive of killing animals. Whether he was aiming to kill a bear or a wolf or even a deer no one knows. Hunting is not a sport or deserves to be labeled a sport. Hunting must be abolished if wildlife in North America is to thrive. Forests are the homes of animals. If we enter their domain and pose a threat to them this will be the result. Man has always interfered with nature, destroyed habitats and have exploited wildlife for profit. It is time that Americans changed their outlook on hunting. It serves no purpose.

[Geoff Abram]

03:38 AM on 09/22/2011

Always glad to see mammals of this country exercising their Second Amendment right!!

=]

[Robster]

07:39 AM on 09/22/2011

ah, the right to arm bears ?

[prestonsturges]

09:12 PM on 09/21/2011

Based on recent history, it would appear that the bears are getting organized.

[yoly7776]

08:42 PM on 09/21/2011

I am for the bear!!!! Was he so poor that he needed to hunt for food. NOT!!!

[chudds007]

08:12 PM on 09/21/2011

Ironic that the guy was hunting at the time ! next time wear a female grizzly bear suit !!

[elizabethwhite]

08:10 PM on 09/21/2011

Are we really civilized? Taking others' lives for fun? Yuck.

Bear did the right thing, it's self difense.

[hiker287]

06:57 PM on 09/21/2011

enter at your own risk---as long as people play ramar of the jungle these attacks will happen

[saksr1of3]

06:29 PM on 09/21/2011

This is the second such article in less than two weeks so I'll say it again. The hunter becomes the hunted. You are taking a very big risk up in that country as it's the bears territory. And having to pay for your mistakes, this guys is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lucky to have been able to walk away. And angry bear is a very power animal.

[aaldrew]

07:06 PM on 09/21/2011

Next time I hope he has a bigger gun.

[sage91501]

06:15 PM on 09/21/2011

well DUH! The bear knew you wernt there to wish him well. Good for ya

[certmuff]

06:14 PM on 09/21/2011

A hunter=instant karma

[ckballard]

06:14 PM on 09/21/2011

simple solution

buy bigger guns

[LastStar]

03:07 AM on 09/22/2011

Naw...pepper spray is what the rangers carry. But the hillbilly hunter is probably so much smarter than the rangers.

[bad spelling grammar]

05:39 PM on 09/21/2011

When you spear fish in the ocean you know you may be attacked by a shark, when you jog or mountain bike in California you know you may be chased by a mountain lion, when you trek the Himalayas you may fall and break your leg, when you hunt for bears in bear country you may be attacked by a bear. Putting yourself at risk is YOUR fault end of conversation.