On the night of June 6, an Island Park resident shot and killed a yearling male grizzly as it charged the man’s girlfriend in front of their home near Last Chance.
The man said he and his girlfriend were exiting their vehicle and heading into the house when she screamed, drawing his attention to a bear running in her direction. The man was removing items from the vehicle, which included a shotgun that he was able to raise and fire toward the bear, causing it to turn and run away.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game responded to the scene upon receiving a call about a dead bear near the roadway. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the homeowner acted in defense-of-life during a surprise encounter with the bear from a short distance.
Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law, and Fish and Game would like to remind people that grizzly bears may be encountered in the Greater Yellowstone area as well as in north Idaho.
Here are some good reminders when living in grizzly country:
- Properly dispose of attractants, including trash and compost.
- Securely store food, garbage, beehives, grain spills, scented products and other attractants in a bear-resistant place.
- Keep pet food secured as you do your own. Bears like pet food as much as your pet does.
- Many attractants can be secured in hard-sided buildings with four walls, a roof and locking door.
- Avoid filling bird feeders until wintertime.
- Do not bury or throw garbage into the nearby woods.
- Make sure to clean your grills and keep them in a building, if possible.