This July, a 72-year-old man was picking huckleberries in Flathead National Forest by himself when he was attacked by a female grizzly bear. He managed to access his handgun, shooting and killing the bear and surviving the encounter with serious injuries.
After a summer that brought several high-profile grizzly bear attacks – a veteran who was mauled while hiking in Grand Teton National Park and a Canadian trail runner who says she was saved by her hair clip – some are asking if guns should be as ubiquitous as hiking boots and backpacks when it comes to recreating in bear country.
