Idaho archery hunters kill grizzly after attack

Two archery hunters in East Idaho shot and killed an adult male grizzly bear Sunday after the animal knocked one of the men down and bit him.

The men were hunting elk on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Island Park when they had a “surprise encounter” with the bear, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 

Officials said the men deterred the bear by shooting and killing it with their sidearms. Fish and Game Upper Snake Region spokesperson James Brower told the Idaho Statesman in an email that the hunters weren’t carrying bear spray, a strong mace that is recommended in grizzly territory.