Bear Injures Raft Guide Camping Along Middle Fork Flathead River
The victim, an adult female guide, reported she was sleeping outside on the ground near Nyack when she sustained injuries from what officials believe was a black bear
By Beacon Staff
A raft guide was injured Wednesday morning in an encounter with a black bear along the Middle Fork Flathead River near Nyack, according to a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Around 6 a.m., a commercial raft company was on a guided overnight trip with two guides and three clients when a bear entered camp, the release states. The victim, an adult female guide, reported she was sleeping outside on the ground when she sustained injuries from what officials believe was a black bear.
Bear spray was deployed but the bear returned multiple times to camp, according to the release.
The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Logan Health in Whitefish.
Bear conflict specialists with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) are investigating with interagency cooperation from the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. FWP specialists are searching for the bear.
The release cautions outdoor recreationists that “Montana is bear country. All bears are potentially dangerous. The majority of human-bear conflicts involve bears protecting their young or a food source. The majority of bear encounters do not involve conflict. Stay alert and look for bear activity.”
Learn more about bear safety at https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware.