Search turns up hunters, dogs inside Glacier Park

Two hunters recently chased their mountain lion-hunting hounds into Glacier National Park, and a search-and-rescue team ended up chasing the men.

Bill Sapa, 39, of Columbia Falls and Lawrence Bedford, 34, of Martin City told family members the morning of Jan. 6 that they were going after their dogs, which went missing after a previous hunt in the North Fork Flathead drainage.

When the men didn't return to their vehicle by early evening, North Valley Search and Rescue was contacted.

A dozen searchers, along with three park rangers, embarked on a search. Using snowmobiles, the searchers tracked the two men and found them and the dogs about 3 1/2 miles south of Polebridge on the park's Inside North Fork Road.

The two men had parked several miles south of Polebridge and were using gps tracking systems to follow gps collars on the dogs.

The last known location of the dogs was inside the park near Winona Lake, about 1 1/2 miles east of where the houndsmen's truck was parked. The hunters' snowmobiles were found only 200 yards from the truck, bogged down in heavy snow.

The search initially carried out on skis, but snowmobiles were deployed from Polebridge down the Inside North Fork Road. A first sweep was unsuccessful, but on a second sweep, searchers encountered the missing dogs. Shortly after midnight, they found the two men.

"Bedford and Sapa told rangers that they were not in distress, but pursued the dogs into the park for fear the dogs might be killed by wolves if left overnight and were simply continuing their search," a park press release stated. "It was their belief that they'd likely reach their vehicle via the Polebridge Ranger Station by approximately 3 a.m. that next morning."

Bedford, the owner of the dogs, was cited for having dogs in the park.

Glacier Superintendent Chas Cartwright said hunters are reminded that they are responsible for controlling dogs in pursuit of mountain lions near a national park boundary.

"There are inherent risks in choosing to hunt adjacent to park boundaries such as river ice, illegal harassment of park wildlife and dog welfare in areas inhabited by wolves," Cartwright said. "Individuals hunting with dogs are responsible for ensuring that they stay out of Glacier National Park."

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com