No action to be taken against bear the bit Glacier hiker

Glacier National Park will take no action against a grizzly bear that bit a man who was hiking on the Highline Trail last week, as it was determined to be a surprise encounter.

The 35-year-old man from Washington state was bitten Sept. 19 and was with others near the Grinnell Glacier Overlook trailhead when he surprised the bear at close range.

The man was bitten below the knee. Members of the hiking party used bear spray to drive the bear away. They then used a satellite communication device to contact park dispatch to report the incident and received instructions on how to bandage the wound.

They were able to stop the bleeding with a first-aid kit.

“The hiking party was walking into the wind and faced foggy conditions, which could have contributed to the encounter,” said John Waller, supervisory wildlife biologist in a press release. “They were well prepared with bear spray, a satellite communication device, a first aid kit, were hiking as a group, and kept their cool when dealing with the bear.”

The terrain in that area is relatively open. The injured visitor hiked to Granite Park Chalet with assistance from rangers and other hikers where he was met by Two Bear Air and flown to the Apgar horse corrals, then transported by Three Rivers ambulance to Logan Health in Whitefish. The injuries were non-life threatening.

Based on information from witnesses, park wildlife biologists have determined it was a grizzly bear, most likely a male.

“At this time, no action will be taken against the bear, because it was a surprise encounter,” Waller said.

The section of the Highline Trail from Haystack Butte to Granite Park is closed and will remain that way until it’s determined the bear is no longer in the area.

The Highline Trail is one of the most popular trails in Glacier.

Visitors are reminded that the fall season is when bears are more likely to be active due to hyperphagia. As bears prepare for the long season of winter, during which they will hibernate, they need to eat as much as they can to prepare to go months without food.

Other closures in Glacier due to bear activity include Sperry Trail between Sperry Chalet and Comeau Pass, and Oldman Lake Wilderness Campground in the Two Medicine region of Glacier.

Visitors are also reminded that trail access in Many Glacier Valley is affected in the Swiftcurrent area due to construction. For information on trail closures in the park, visit the park’s trail status webpage.