Hunter Steve Shot and Killed by Companion During an Attack by a Grizzly Bear
BILLINGS, Montana -- Authorities say a hunter attacked by a grizzly in a Montana forest was killed not by the bear, but by a gunshot fired by a companion trying to save him.
Lincoln County Sheriff said that 39-year-old Steve Stevenson of Winnemucca, Nev., died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
The cause of death was determined by the medical examiner with the Montana State Crime Lab.
The shot was fired by 20-year-old Ty Bell, also of Winnemucca, as he attempted to stop the bear's attack.
Bell had earlier shot and wounded what he thought was a black bear during a Sept. 16 hunting trip along the Montana-Idaho border.
The two men tracked the wounded grizzly into thick cover, where it apparently turned on Stevenson.
The medical examiner believes the bullet did not hit Stevenson first.
They say it either went through the bear or deflected off the bear's body.