re: Deer hunter survives bear attack

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Survivor speaks

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From a hospital bed in Kodiak Thursday, a 68-year-old Alaska man mauled by a brown bear said he is doing well despite the more than 100 staples in his leg that keep a chunk of his skin attached to the back of his thigh.

Michael Snowden, an avid hunter from Sitka, said the brown bear sow managed to tear his hamstring muscle, but not sever it completely, when it plowed him over on a small island near Kodiak Tuesday and grabbed ahold of his right leg while he scrambled to reach the revolver strapped to his chest.

“It all happens in seconds,” he said. “You don’t have time to think. You’re not necessarily thinking that you’re going to die, but I don’t know what keeps you thinking you’re going to live either.”

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Ostrin said a man on the vessel told him the bears walked away from Snowden and Ostrin -- until they hit the trail of blood left by the deer carcass.

“He said that the sow was alerted to the smell and just turned and was in full charge for 500 yards, and she beelined right to us,” Ostrin said.

Meanwhile, he and Snowden had pulled out sandwiches and taken a seat at the edge of a brush-covered area overlooking a meadow, hoping to spot another deer.

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Snowden said he lost his grip on his rifle as the bear gnawed on his leg. He pulled at his revolver, but he couldn’t manage to unhook a small leather strap and free the weapon from its holster. Ostrin took a few steps back.

“I was thinking, ‘How do I safely engage in this situation without endangering Mike?’” Ostrin said.

He waited for a clear shot and fired into the bear’s hindquarters and then again into its chest. The bear fell and dragged Snowden down the hill. Ostrin shot the bear a third time, killing the animal.

He checked on Snowden, who held his hand over a wound on the back of his thigh. He then radioed the vessel for help. When he returned to stand guard over Snowden, a second bear -- believed to be one of the cubs -- emerged from the brush. He shot and killed it.

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It's best (if you can) to semi-process the deer on the spot, put it into game bags which will not leave a blood trail and does help cover some of the scent before bringing it down to camp or to the beach. Some people don't like doing that because their lingering activity at the point of the kill might draw unwanted visitors.