Hunters Save Their Own after Grizzly Hunt Goes Wrong
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.11.13
Hunter John Matson, 46, owes his life to two quick-acting companions after being mauled by a wounded grizzly bear. According to Anchorage Daily News, the three men were hunting near McGrath, Alaska on Monday when the incident occurred. Matson, an assistant guide, and another hunter spotted a grizzly eating berries in the vicinity of Beaver Mountain. Matson took the shot and wounded the bear, which tumbled into the bushes. The hunting party could hear the animal struggling inside of cover, but it quickly ran off and into denser brush. Matson and his companions tracked the grizzly from a distance, eventually cornering the bear inside another bush.
After having waited 90 minutes, Matson moved forward to dispatch the wounded animal. Unfortunately for the hunter, it was almost the other way around. The assistant guide told state troopers that he heard Matson screaming while in the brush, followed by bellows from the wounded bear. The other two men were about 30 feet away from where Matson was being mauled. Matson was able to squeeze off one shot at the raging animal and subsequent gunshots from the other hunters drove the bear off. Matson was discovered to be bleeding profusely from bite marks on his head and leg. The guide used clothing to bandage up the wounds, and Matson was escorted back to camp about a mile away. There, Matson was treated with what little medical supplies the hunters had and kept awake through the night.
Rough weather prevented a rescue helicopter from landing until Tuesday. Matson was later taken to an Anchorage hospital, where the Associated Press reports that he is recovering after surgery.
