Though not in the immediate YNP area (this was up closer to Glacier NP), the Great Falls Tribune’s Karl Puckett reported and interesting story yesterday…..

Carl Haggar of East Glacier was walking along a steep ravine in dense timber late Tuesday morning when he saw a bear cub flee up the other side of the ravine. At the same time, the sow was climbing the ravine toward Haggar.

When the bear was about 20 feet away, Haggar began slowly backing up with his gun in both hands across his chest. Haggar tripped as he was backing up and the bear put its head down and charged him.

With the gun in his right hand and bracing himself with his left, Haggar shot the bear with a 30-06 rifle. The 350-pound bear, struck just above the left eye, fell with a thud about five feet away from Haggar.

“It was an amazing sound,” Haggar said, “because it was a lifeless sound.”

Haggar, 54, said he felt terrible about killing the bear, especially after seeing the cub across the creek bawling. But he said it was self defense.

“I would have been killed if I hadn’t had a killing blow,” he said. “This was the angriest bear I’ve ever encountered, so I knew I was in deep trouble.”

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Tags: Skills: Bear Safety