WHITEFISH (AP) – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissoner Vic Workman survived a close encounter with a grizzly bear Sunday.
Workman says he was hunting with a friend north of Whitefish Lake when the grizzly charged from about 30 feet away. He yelled “Whoa bear, whoa bear, whoa” before shooting from the hip with his hunting rifle, hitting the bear in the chest at a distance of 10 feet.
Workman says the bear never slowed down, but veered off and kept going.
Workman and state game wardens went back to the area Monday morning to see if they could find the bear or determine what happened to it.
It was the sixth encounter between a Montana hunter and a grizzly since September.