Hunter 'Severely Mauled' By Black Bear In Riverside County

BANNING, CA — A hunter is hospitalized with severe injuries after he was attacked by a bear he shot with an arrow near Banning, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The attack happened around 7 p.m. Friday the Banning Canyon area, which is in Southern California — about 90 miles east of Los Angeles.

"A hunter did shoot a bear with an arrow and when he went down to find the bear, the bear was only injured, it wasn't [yet] dead," said CDFW Capt. Patrick Foy told Patch. "It mauled him pretty badly."

Foy said the Black Bear, "severely" injured the archery hunter, who suffered injuries on his upper torso, face and arms. It's not clear how big the bear was or what sex it was, but Foy said it was an adult.

Complete details surrounding the attack aren't yet available, as officials haven't been able to speak with the victim due to his medical condition, Foy said. However, it's believed that the man's two hunting partners came to his aid after the attack and the bear ran off, and eventually died.

Fish and Wildlife officials learned of the attack the next day and responded to the Banning Canyon area where they found the bear's body and collected it, Foy said.

Foy said this sort of attack does not happen often.

"This is extremely rare," Foy said. "I have been around for 22 years in this department and I'm aware of 3 occasions in my career where a hunter was attacked [by a bear]...And this is the first time I've ever heard of this happening with an archery [case]."

It is currently bear-hunting season in California, Foy said. Fish and Wildlife officials continue to investigate the case.

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