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Grizzly bear shot and killed after attacking a hunter in Glacier County

Posted at 10:52 AM, Sep 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-03 08:44:14-04

A grizzly bear was shot and killed after attacking a hunter in Glacier County on Monday.

Michael Ollinger of Browning confirmed that he and a friend were moose hunting near Babb when the bear charged and mauled him.

His friend shot the bear several times. Ollinger then pulled out his own pistol and shot the bear while it was attacking him. “It just kind of came out of nowhere,” Ollinger said. “I lucked out because it was an older grizzly and its canines were worn out.”

Dustin Weatherwax with Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife said the bear was an old, male grizzly with worn down teeth.

Ollinger was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for treatment for his leg and groin injuries, and later released.

“Everything worked out in my favor,” he said.


(1st Report, Tuesday 9:45 a.m.) A hunter was attacked by a grizzly bear on Blackfeet Tribal land on Monday.

The man was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which are not life-threatening. He has since been released.

Dustin Weatherwax with Blackfeet Fish & Wlidlife says that the man and his partner were hunting for moose.

An old, male grizzly bear attacked one of them just before 5 p.m. on Monday. Weatherwax said that the bear’s teeth were worn down.

The bear was killed during the incident, but authorities are still investigating the incident to determine how it died and get more details about the incident.

Weatherwax declined to provide more specific information about the location.

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BELOW: Todd Orr recounts surviving after being attacked by a grizzly bear twice: