Bear That Attacked Stevensville Hunter Found Dead, Sparks Federal Investigation

The bear that attacked a Stevensville man, while he was hunting in the Centennial valley last Sunday, June 2, has been found dead near where the incident occurred.

"We went to the scene to investigate and we did find an adult male grizzly bear, approximately 10-years-old, that animal had been shot," said Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Spokeswoman Andrea Jones. "From that point we just gathered the evidence on the scene and we are trying to determine the cause. We haven't made any conclusions as to a timeline of events, what happened, who actually shot the bear, that kind of a thing is still under investigation. "

Because the bear is a grizzly, a species protected under the Endangered Species Act, federal investigators are already looking into this case. The man who was attacked by the bear Is in critical condition at a Seattle hospital.

According to Jones, the father of the man who was attacked by the grizzly claims he found his son by following the sound of a gunshot. The two men were hunting black bear in an area where it was legal to do so.