Alaska State Troopers said a hunter was injured in a brown bear attack Saturday afternoon on the popular Resurrection Pass Trail on the Kenai Peninsula.
The 32-year-old man was “seriously injured by the bear and also as the result of a gunshot wound during attempts to stop the attack,” troopers said in an online statement Monday. The man, and his hunting partner, were not identified. The bear was killed during the encounter, which took place near Abernathy Cabin, troopers said.
Both hunters fired shots at the bear, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain. The injured hunter was shot once in the leg, he said.
Troopers said they got a report of the incident on the trail near Cooper Landing at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The injured hunter was flown to an Anchorage hospital by a troopers helicopter after first aid was administered in the field, troopers said. The other man was transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center team.
Troopers said they notified the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Soldotna. A representative of the office couldn’t immediately be reached Monday.
The bear hadn’t been recovered as of Monday “due to the medical emergency and remote location,” DeSpain said.