A Montana mountain guide has died after being killed by a large gray bear that was likely defending a elk carcass near the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park, officials said Monday.
Charles “Carl” Mock, 40, who lived in the West Yellowstone Park footbridge community, died Saturday, two days after being attacked while fishing alone in a wooded area along the Madison River. several miles north of West Yellowstone, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said spokeswoman Christine Koosman.
The male bear, which weighed at least 420 pounds, was killed after gunfire when it charged against wildlife workers investigating the attack, officials said in a statement.
Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office through AP
The elk carcass was found about 50 meters from the site of the attack, said Morgan Jacobsen, a spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Mock, who suffered serious injuries to his scalp and face, managed to call 911 after the attack and was found after investigators searched for him for about 50 minutes.
He was taken by slide and snowmobile to an ambulance before being taken to a hospital in the city of Idaho Falls, where he died, according to the sheriff’s office.
Mock was a Backcountry Adventure guide, offering snowmobile rentals and guided tours of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas of the national forest, according to the company’s Facebook page.
A GoFundMe site created on behalf of Mock after the harassment said he was an outdoor enthusiast and a beloved guide for Yellowstone visitors. The site had raised more than $ 30,000 on Tuesday morning.
When attacked, the drill had bear spray, a mole-like deterrent designed to protect itself from attacks. Remains of bear spray were found on Mock’s clothes, but officials could not determine to what extent he could use it against the bear.
“He was the only one who was there and we were never able to talk to him,” Jacobsen said.
The grizzly bear died Friday after being charged against a group of seven guards and other troops as they approached the site of the attack. Several people shot at the animal and it died about 20 meters from the group, Jacobsen said.
Officials said they are confident the bear that died is the one that attacked Mock.
The Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming has more than 700 bears. Deadly attacks on humans are relatively rare, but increased in recent decades as the grizzly bear population grew and more people moved to rural areas close to bear habitat. Since 2010, grizzlies in the Yellowstone region have killed eight people, including Mock. Three died inside the park.
The most recent death was in 2018, when a hunting guide and his client were attacked in Wyoming and the guide died.
Last year, a a grizzly bear seriously wounded a father and a son who were hunting in a “surprise” attack.
Grizzly hunting is not allowed. But lawmakers in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are trying to force wildlife officials to lift protections in order to hunt bears.
Mock’s friend Scott Riley said he was an “extremely experienced” guide who knew the risks of living and working near grizzly bears.
Mock, who was single and originally from Pocatello, Idaho, had been fishing in the same area all week without incident, Riley said. His friend said he spent a lot of time outdoors with Mock, who also kayaked, hunted and rode his bike, and they had seen a lot of bones but never had any problems.
“He was the best guide,” Riley said. “He looked like an eagle and he felt like an owl … Carl was a fantastic guy.”
Montana’s grizzly and human populations have increased substantially since 1975, when bears were protected under the Endangered Species Act, a “60-minute” correspondent. Bill Whitaker reported last year. See his full report in the video at the top of this page.