Investigators determined that there was no bear involved in a on the Grand Mesa.
A hunter in his late 60s had his ATV parked on Forest Service Road 105 above Powderhorn Ski Resort near Grand Junction when he said a bear attacked him and caused him to drive over a cliff into rocks, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release.
The hunter suffered extensive but non-life threatening injuries from the crash, the release said.
After an investigation using trained dogs, examination of the injuries and forensic evidence, wildlife officers determined that a bear did not attack the hunter.
“This individual is certain that he saw a bear,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife area wildlife manager J.T. Romatzke. “We are not discounting that he saw something that caused him to react.”
Some initial media reports said that a bear had mauled the hunter based on law enforcement scanner traffic, Romatzke said.
“People get very concerned about wildlife conflicts,” Romatzke said. “It is not helpful to cause unneeded alarm.”
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ehernandez
