Black bear hit by arrow mauls hunter before dying, reports say

FILE: A bow-and-arrow hunter was hospitalized after being mauled by a balck bear in Southern California. (CA Dept. of Fish & Game)

A black bear struck by an arrow recently mauled a Southern California hunter who approached the wounded animal to get a closer look, a report said.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported this week that the unidentified hunter suffered serious injuries during the mauling Aug. 24 in the San Bernardino Mountains. He was hospitalized.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the hunter suffered injuries to his upper torso and face.

The hunter was joined by two others at the time and reportedly believed the bear was dead when he approached the 300-pound animal. The bear later died, but the hunter’s condition was not immediately known.

Bow-and-arrow hunting in Southern California is legal from now until early September or until 1,700 bears are killed. An animal expert told the Times that black bear attacks are extremely rare.

“It’s something that we learn at the very beginning of hunter education: After you shoot an animal and approach it, you need to be very careful,” Patrick Foy, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife captain, told the paper. “They teach you to be prepared with a follow-up shot in case the animal runs or is suffering needlessly.”