Deer hunter survives bear attack

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A 65-year-old deer hunter was injured and needed a medevac after he was attacked by a sow bear on Sally Island Tuesday afternoon.

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Sixty-eight-year-old Sitka resident Michael Snowden suffered injuries to his legs. His hunting partner, Jeff Ostrin, age 38, of Camas, Washington, was not injured.

Initial reports indicated it may have been a group, or a “sloth,” of bears, but according to Kodiak Fish and Game biologist Nate Svoboda it was a sow bear with two older cubs involved in the attack.

“They were carrying the deer out, actually dragging the deer out down to the beach to be picked up,” Svoboda said. “And the stopped to take a quick break for lunch and at that point they heard a bear rustling in the brush. They reached over, grabbed their rifles and moments later a bear charged through the brush and jumped on the survivor and continued to thrash around with him. The witness, obviously startled, backed up a few feet, took aim at the bear and waited until he had a clear shot.”

At that point one of the cubs came out of the brush and was also shot by Ostrin.

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