Three archery hunters in the Taylor Fork OK after separate grizzly encounters

BIG SKY — Three archery hunters are uninjured after two recent encounters with grizzly bears in the Taylor Fork region south of Big Sky.

The first encounter involved two hunters on Sept. 29. They were hunting in the vicinity of a known elk carcass when they saw a grizzly bear. To make their presence known, the hunters yelled at the bear. The bear reportedly came toward the hunters, and they each fired once with handguns. Both the bear and the hunters left the site without further incident.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff learned of the encounter on Oct. 1, and after interviewing the hunters, determined it was unlikely the bear was injured.

On Oct. 3, a lone hunter reportedly encountered a grizzly bear at close range. The bear charged, and the hunter deployed bear spray, which stopp