A grizzly with cubs charged at two hunters in Idaho. They shot the bear, officials say

A grizzly bear charged toward two Idaho hunters. One grabbed bear spray, but the other grabbed a gun, officials said.

The grizzly was walking with cubs Thursday in East Idaho when it charged two hunters, Idaho Fish and Game said.

“As the bear charged, one of the hunters deployed bear spray while the other discharged a firearm at close range, mortally wounding the bear,” Fish and Game officials said in a news release.

The grizzly did not hurt the hunters during the encounter, wildlife officials said.

Wildlife officials haven’t found the cubs.

“Dense vegetation in the area is making locating the cubs difficult,” wildlife officials said. “The public is asked to avoid the area for their own safety and the safety of Fish and Game Staff.”

The hunters were looking for elk in the Stamp Meadows area near Island Park when they encountered the grizzly.

There have been several grizzly encounters in the same area.

In July, a man running in the area came face-to-face with a grizzly and its cub, McClatchy News reported. The grizzly charged at the man, who laid down on the ground to protect himself.

The grizzly then struck the man several times and ran away.

“The man was injured in the attack, but able to return to the cabin he was staying in and call 911,” officials said in a news release. “His injuries were not life threatening.”

Weeks later, a grizzly chased a mountain biker in Stamp Meadows, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Wildlife officials told the Idaho Statesman they don’t know if it was the same bear.

“It has not been verified that this was the same bear involved in either of the other incidents that occurred earlier this year,” James Brower, spokesman for the Upper Snake Region of Fish and Game, told the Idaho Statesman.

Investigative reporter Nicole Blanchard contributed to this report.

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