September 12, 2011
From Ammoland.com
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan - A 49-year-old bear hunter from Shepherd, Mich., was
injured Sunday night (Sept. 11) when he was attacked in his tree
stand by a female black bear in Mackinac County, west of the village
of Trout Lake, the Department of Natural Resources reported today.
The hunter sustained non-life threatening lacerations to his legs
and was transported to a local hospital by a member of his hunting
party.
According to initial reports, the hunter was seated approximately
10 to 12 feet above the ground in a tree stand when a female bear
and three cubs approached. The sow climbed up the tree and clawed at
the hunter and he attempted to kick her to fend off the attack. The
bear retreated momentarily, and then returned up the tree to again
claw at the hunter. At that point, he was able to shoot the bear
with his rifle as it was attacking him.
Investigation of the incident is ongoing by the DNR with
assistance by Michigan State Police.
The black bear is the only bear species native to Michigan, with
approximately 90 percent of the bear population living in the Upper
Peninsula. Black bears are shy by nature, and have a fear of humans.
However, a perceived threat to cubs can provoke a mother bear to
attack on occasion.
For more information on bears in Michigan, including how to
prevent problems between bears and humans, go to www.michigan.gov/bear.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the
conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the
state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future
generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
