Wrangler heads off griz on trail ride

A quick-thinking wrangler turned away a grizzly bear that chased its supper into the midst of a horse party in West Glacier last month.

Erin Bolster, of Swan Mountain Outfitters, was leading an excursion on the Flathead National Forest behind the Rawhide Restaurant July 30 when the leisurely trip was abruptly interrupted by a grizzly bear chasing a white-tailed buck right into the party.

Many of the horses started running toward the barn at the sight of the charging bear, Swan Mountain vice president Aubrie Loroña said. But one horse with an eight year-old-boy on board went in the opposite direction, and the grizzly bear, which had lost the deer, turned its attention to the boy's horse.

Bolster quickly put her horse between the bear and the boy, screaming and yelling at the grizzly, which thought better and ran away.

The whole ordeal was over in a few seconds and no one was hurt, but Loroña said Bolster did a bang-up job on the bear.

"The party gave Bolster a nice tip and was all smiles when it was over," Loroña said.

Swan Mountain Outfitters is the exclusive provider of horse rides in Glacier National Park and also leads multi-day pack trips in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Bear sightings happen frequently, Loroña said, but a grizzly has never run at a party before.

"It's very unusual," she said.

Swan Mountain reported the incident to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, but the bear hasn't been seen since.