Shed hunter kills charging grizzly near Dupuyer

A man shot and killed a grizzly bear Friday after it charged while he was shed hunting near Dupuyer in north-central Montana.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the man was searching for antlers on a brushy hillside when he first saw the bear. As he was leaving, the bear charged him at close range and he shot the bruin. The man was not injured.

The adult female grizzly was healthy with no history of conflict. She was estimated to be 13 years old and weighed about 250 pounds.

The sow had a single yearling cub that was found unharmed. No management action will be taken for the yearling.

Dupuyer is along the Rocky Mountain front on the east side of the Great Bear Wilderness area.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.