REXBURG, ID – A hunter reportedly shot and killed a grizzly bear in self-defense Saturday morning while hunting in the North Antelope Flats area of Island Park on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Officials said the man was walking through thick timber on Oct. 18 when a male grizzly bear charged him from a short distance. The hunter fired his rifle, killing the bear before it made contact.
The hunter contacted the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident. Idaho Fish and Game officers responded and conducted an investigation, determining the hunter acted in self-defense.
Grizzly bears are protected under both state and federal law. Fish and Game officials reminded hunters that grizzlies are present in the Greater Yellowstone area and northern Idaho, and are occasionally seen as far south as Grangeville and the Salmon Region.
