Hunter kills Alaska bear mauling his partner

KODIAK, Alaska – A Washington state man shot and killed a bear mauling his hunting partner on a small Alaskan island and then its cub that popped out from some brush.

KMXT reports Michael Snowden of Sitka suffered leg injuries in the brown bear attack Tuesday.

Snowden and Jeff Ostrin of Camas, Washington, dragged a deer they had shot to a beach to be picked up and stopped for lunch. The bears caught wind of the deer.

A sow came through the brush and attacked Snowden. Ostrin stepped back, took aim with his rifle and killed it. One of the bear’s two cubs then emerged, and the hunter fatally shot it.

State wildlife official Larry Van Daele (DALE') says Ostrin is a hero for killing the bears, tending to Snowden’s wounds and getting help.

This story was originally published November 6, 2014 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Hunter kills Alaska bear mauling his partner."