Wilf Lloyd and his son-in-law, Skeet Podrasky, were hunting in a gravel pit about 10 kilometres outside of Fernie when Lloyd was mauled by a 400 pound bear. Lloyd’s son-in-law quickly came to his defence and shot at the bear multiple times. Unfortunately, one of the gunshots hit Wilf in the leg. The incident happened south of Fernie in the Flathead area at about 9am on Sunday, October 12th.
Conservation officers and emergency responders attended the scene immediately. The hunter was transported by STARS air ambulance to Foothills hospital in Calgary and is recovering and reported that his condition as stable and his injuries as non-life threatening. The bear was dead and about 10 meters away from the scene and according to authorities was probably a 6-7 ft younger bear.
Last year, two men were scouting Fernie’s forest trails in preparation for hunting season when they got between a grizzly and her cub. Fernie and the East Kootenay region has become a hunting destination based on having a very large animal population that is accessible. Hunters from all over Western Canada and the US migrate here and incidents are inevitable based on the number of hunters out there.
Lloyd is the area’s first incident this year. His friends credit his survival to his son in-law’s quick thinking and good shooting, well almost.
An investigation by Fernie and Cranbrook conservation officers into the attack is underway.
The Safest Wildlife Encounter is One Prevented
Avoid surprise encounters: Call out, clap your hands, sing or talk loudly
Look for signs of wildlife: Tracks, droppings, diggings, claw-marked trees, torn-up logs, overturned rocks and food caches.
Travel smart: Stay in groups, stay on marked trails and travel in daylight.
Do not litter: Pack it in, pack it out.
Carry bear spray: Keep it accessible and know how to use it as your last best defense.
Dog owners: keep your dogs under control. They may provoke defensive behavior in wildlife.
Cyclists: speed and quietness put you at risk for sudden encounters. Slow down and make noise.
Never Approach or Feed Wildlife
For more information on wildlife safety go to http://www.wildsafebc.com
