A 20-year-old bowhunter was crossing Elk Creek southwest of Augusta, Montana on a Monday morning in September when a grizzly hit him. He walked about three miles back to his truck and drove himself out. Investigators later found a cow carcass, likely bear-killed, about 150 yards from the spot.
That attack on September 14 kicked off another rough fall in grizzly country. Two weeks later, a landowner near Trego shot a collared grizzly at close range on his property. And elk season, the time of year when more hunters are calling, gutting, and packing meat in bear country than any other, is just hitting full swing.
The fall 2026 grizzly attacks on hunters
Here’s what happened near Augusta, on the Rocky Mountain Front. The young archer was on state land along Elk Creek near Haystack Butte when he surprised a bear. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed it was a grizzly from hair and tracks at the scene, and called it a “surprise defensive encounter.” Investigators found a domestic cow they suspect a bear killed about 150 yards away. The hunter’s injuries were significant but not life-threatening.
The next evening, wildlife officials put down an adult female grizzly that had been killing cattle on state land about three miles from the attack site. It’s unknown whether she was the same bear.
Then on October 1 near Trego, a landowner went to check on noises on his property and met a 5-year-old collared male at close range. He shot and killed it. The bear had been trying to get at attractants in an enclosed outbuilding. It was the seventh grizzly death in Flathead County this year, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating.
This isn’t just a Montana thing. Back in May, a grizzly charged a man and his young son on a black bear hunt near Ashton, Idaho. The father emptied his sidearm, grabbed his rifle, and killed the bear inside five yards. And last October near Fort Steele, British Columbia, a sow grizzly with cubs attacked 63-year-old elk hunter Joe Pendry. Conservation officers believe his elk calling drew the bears in. He fought her off and survived the attack, but died three weeks later from complications.
Why elk season is prime time for grizzly attacks on hunters
There are more grizzlies on the landscape than at any point in modern memory. The Greater Yellowstone population was estimated at about 1,055 bears in 2025, above the 800 to 950 management target. The Northern Continental Divide population around Glacier is growing and pushing out onto the prairie. Together, Montana and Wyoming hold close to 2,000 grizzlies.
Fall is when bears are packing on fat before the den, and they’re moving hard looking for food. “Fall is an especially active time for bears as they move more in search of food, which can increase the potential for bear-related conflicts,” FWP Director Christy Clark said after the Trego shooting.
Then hunters show up and do everything that rings a dinner bell. We sound like wounded or rutting elk. We leave gut piles. Some bears have learned that a gunshot in October means a free meal, and they move toward it. Then we hang around a carcass at dark trying to finish the job.
We covered the bigger fight over who manages these bears in Feds Move to Hand Grizzly Bear Management to the States. That fight just got louder. In late September, a Fish and Wildlife Service official told Idaho lawmakers there will be “an immediate push on delisting” once the new management rule lands.
How to stay safe hunting elk in grizzly country
Most of this is old advice. The problem is that hunters skip it when they’re tired, it’s getting dark, and there’s a bull on the ground.
- Carry bear spray where you can reach it in a second. Not in your pack. On your chest or belt.
- Hunt with a partner. One person works on the animal while the other watches the timber.
- Get the meat out fast. FWP calls this the golden rule. Don’t quarter an elk at dusk if you can help it. We wrote a whole guide on getting your elk meat home.
- Drag the gut pile away. FWP says at least 100 yards from where you’ll be working.
- Come back to a kill carefully. Approach from upwind with good visibility, make noise, and glass it first. If a bear is on it, walk away. A jury in Wyoming cleared a Cody bowhunter this year who left a bull a grizzly had claimed.
- Know that calling has a cost. A cow call works on bears too. Keep your head up when you’re calling in thick country.
Bear spray vs. a gun: what the data says
This is where a lot of hunters dig in. Here’s what the research actually shows.
A study by Smith, Herrero and others looked at bear encounters in Alaska from 1985 to 2006. Bear spray stopped brown bears 92% of the time, and 98% of people carrying it in close encounters came out uninjured. A follow-up study on firearms found handguns worked 84% of the time and long guns 76%.
That doesn’t mean leave the rifle at home. You’re elk hunting. You’ve got it anyway. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee says to carry spray in addition to your firearm. Spray is faster to deploy, you don’t have to make a perfect shot, and it doesn’t kill the bear.
Grizzly Attack FAQ
Where was the Montana hunter attacked by a grizzly in 2026?
A 20-year-old bowhunter was attacked on September 14, 2026 on state land along Elk Creek near Haystack Butte, southwest of Augusta, Montana. FWP called it a surprise defensive encounter, and investigators found a cow carcass, likely bear-killed, about 150 yards away.
Does elk calling attract grizzly bears?
It can. Montana FWP warns that elk calls, cover scents, and gut piles can draw bears. In an October 2025 British Columbia attack, officers believed a hunter’s elk calling drew in a sow grizzly and her cubs.
Is bear spray better than a gun for grizzlies?
Studies show bear spray stopped charging brown bears 92% of the time, compared with 84% for handguns and 76% for long guns. Wildlife agencies recommend hunters carry bear spray in addition to a firearm.
How many grizzly bears are in Montana and Wyoming?
Close to 2,000 grizzlies live in Montana and Wyoming combined. The Greater Yellowstone population was estimated at about 1,055 bears in 2025.
Are there grizzly bears in Colorado?
No. Colorado has no established grizzly bear population, so elk hunters there deal with black bears and mountain lions but not grizzlies. The same is true for New Mexico.
Are grizzly bears still protected?
Yes. Grizzlies in the Lower 48 are still listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A 2026 proposed rule would hand management to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, but it doesn’t remove federal protection.
The takeaway
Grizzlies are part of hunting the Northern Rockies now, and there are more of them every year. That doesn’t mean stay home. It means hunt like a bear is in the next drainage, because one probably is.
If you want an elk hunt where that’s someone else’s whole job to think about, that’s what a good guide is for. And if grizzly country isn’t for you, Colorado and New Mexico have no grizzlies at all. Look at our North Park Colorado elk hunts or the New Mexico trophy elk hunt. Browse every hunt on the Hunt Adventures page, or reach out and talk to one of our consultants. They’re working guides.
We’ve told a few bear stories on the Hunt Podcast too. And when you get that elk home in one piece, the wild game cookbook is waiting.
Hunting is not a hobby. It’s an obsession.
