A hunter in Alberta is sharing his story of a close call with a grizzly bear several years ago that happened in the same spot as a man who was rushed to hospital early this week.
“It did bring back memories of my being charged by a grizzly bear in that exact same location six years ago,” said Paul Wagman, a hunter and retired police officer.
Wagman told Global News he retired from being a police officer due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but said in an interview that seeing the latest story about a bear attack brought back another source of PTSD from his past.
Wagman said he had harvested a sheep when his own near-attack happened.
“The bear came to the gunshot, followed us and the scent of the harvested animal all the way down and came at us to threaten and intimidate us to take that harvest away,” he told Global News.
He said he’s grown concerned grizzly bears may not fear humans as they once did, pointing to the incident this past week.
On Thursday, Alberta fish and wildlife officers confirmed two men were hunting south of the town of Cochrane, Alta., west of Calgary, when one of them was attacked by a grizzly.
The bear was shot by the victim’s hunting partner and is believed to have been killed.
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A spokesperson for STARS Air Ambulance confirmed to Global News that the man, in his 30s, was transported to Foothills Hospital in Calgary, though they could not provide details of the victim’s condition.
That wasn’t the only grizzly attack in October.
Earlier, a couple from Prince George, B.C., were hiking in the McGregor Mountains when they came face-to-face with a grizzly bear and her cubs.
According to Shauna Terai, there was a “scuffle” and at one point the grizzly bear picked her up before dropping her, giving her time to hit the SOS button on her satellite communication device. Her husband Chris then jumped into action to distract the bear.
Another man from B.C. who fought off a grizzly bear in the East Kootenays on Oct. 2, died from his injuries more than three weeks later. He appeared to be making progress from his injuries, but his wife said he died last weekend from what doctors believed was a blood clot.
Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety & More, Inc., in Calgary, said it’s a reminder that hunters should be careful when going to collect an animal after its been shot.
“If they have actually shot an animal, going in a group, being really careful to scope the area, making tons of noise as you’re moving through to get to that animal so that you don’t surprise a bear at close range,” Titchner said, describing actions the hunters should be taking.
The Alberta government has its own list of tips on how to stay safe when hunting. In addition to having bear spray, hunters are advised to carry a noisemaker while on the hunt and to be cautious when tracking a wounded animal.
“Bears may also be attracted to animals that are wounded. When possible, have a partner keep watch,” the government notes.
The government goes on to say that after a kill, hunters should make noise while field-dressing the carcass so nearby bears are aware they’re in the area, and to remove the carcass as quickly as possible. If hunters see a bear, however, they should leave the area to avoid risking an encounter.
Though there is guidance in place, Wagman said given recent attacks, more should be done.
“If we start to implement reasonable hunting measures that might stop some of these negative interactions and associating humans with a food source,” he said.
—with files from Global News’ Craig Momney, Ken MacGillivray and Amy Judd
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
