Wildlife officials say a hunter along Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front shot and killed a female grizzly bear and wounded a cub that was later euthanized.
Grizzlies are protected in the Lower 48 states as a threatened species. Investigators determined the hunter acted in self-defense, meaning he won’t face charges.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon said the bow hunter was in thick brush along a creek on Wednesday when he came across the animals at the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area northwest of Choteau.
The hunter shot the animals with a pistol, killing the adult and injuring the 2-year-old cub, which was later killed by officials due to its injuries.
Earlier this week, a bow hunter on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation shot and killed a grizzly that attacked him.