Wyoming Man Accidentally Shots Himself While Fighting Off Grizzly Bear

A Wyoming man accidentally shot his leg while fighting off a grizzly bear late last week.

The man survived the attack and spent the weekend recovering after being rescued.

It is unclear what provoked the bear attack, but the survivor reportedly believes it was only being protective.

Wyoming Grizzly Bear Attack

(Photo : JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images)

The 65-year-old man was survived and was recovering as of earlier this week, after he shot himself on the leg while trying to fend off the attacking grizzly bear, according to local authorities, as cited by NBC News.

The bear attack was believed to be unprovoked since the wild animal was reportedly only protecting its territory.

The Wyoming hunter named Lee Francis, from Evanston city, was hunting with his 40-year-old son in an area in western Wyoming known as Rock Creek, located south of Grand Teton National Park, on Friday, October 21.

It was around 6:00 p.m. local time that day when he fired at the charging grizzly bear, according to the Sublette County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said Francis was able to draw his carried handgun and fired several rounds at the animal, which forced it to disengage and flee.

However, one of the bullets hit the Evanston man in his lower leg, which was believed to be in the way between him and the bear during the attack.

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Rescue Operation

Francis' son used a "hand-held satellite emergency notification device" to request for help, sheriff's office Sgt. Travis Bingham stated, as cited by the US media outlet.

The device is sometimes called a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger.

The satellite-based device used by the Wyoming hunter's son sent their location coordinates to the Texas-based International Emergency Respond Coordination Center, which is owned by the GPS firm Garmin.

Upon receiving the notification, the center notified the nearest first responders in Wyoming.

A helicopter then flew into the scene and rushed Francis to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

It was Monday afternoon when he was discharged, hospital spokesperson Suzanne Winchester stated, as mentioned by NBC News.

The site of the attack occurred along the Sawtooth mountains, where the presence of grizzly bears is known locally.

Wyoming Bear Attacks

The state of Wyoming is not only home to grizzly bears but also to black bears.

While both are dangerous, grizzly bears are often more aggressive.

It is crucial to know the difference between the two bear species, where you are a hunter or an occasional hiker, according to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD).

The WGFD adds that bears are attracted to a number of things, including garbage, fruit trees, vegetable and flower gardens, and even livestock.

It also cautioned the public to protect their pets and children when outdoors, especially during evening hours.

The Wyoming agency does not recommend the practice of composting or the recycling of organic matter since odors attract bears.

In previous years, there have been recorded cases of bear attacks in Wyoming.

In June 2022, another grizzly bear attacked a man from New York, who luckily survived, while he was hiking in Wyoming after several days. 

Related Article: Man Survives Grizzly Attack in Wyoming