Montana sheriff calls hunter shooting during grizzly attack an accidentAlthough officials with the state of Montana and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say they will release no information pending completion of an investigation, the Park County Sheriff's office in Livingston, Mont., found no negligence when one hunter accidentally shot his friend Saturday while trying to fend off a grizzly that was attacking the friend.The grizzly was killed, but the hunter's arm also was hit in the struggle.

“We're satisfied on our part that the shooting of the person was an accident,” said Sheriff Allan Lutes.

The sheriff's office conducted a joint investigation with other agencies, Lutes said.

Lutes said he was speaking strictly on behalf of the sheriff's office, not for U.S. Fish and Wildlife or Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Two hunters were tracking what they believed to be a black bear near Cooke City at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

They entered a grove of very dense, second-generation pine that was 6 to 8 feet in height when their quarry, which actually was a grizzly, jumped one of the hunters.

“He was yelling at his partner to shoot the bear,” Lutes said.

The first shot struck the hunter in the arm. Subsequent shots hit and killed the grizzly, which Lutes said was estimated to be 20-25 years old.

“It was a big boar,” Lutes said.

The guys were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Lutes said negligence is not an issue. The other hunter was trying to save his friend.

“It doesn't point to anything but an accident,” Lutes said.

Lutes did not release the hunters' names.

Lutes advised using extreme caution while prowling the hills and forest for game.

“These hunters need to be very careful, especially in thick areas,” Lutes said.

Grizzlies are foraging, trying to add body weight before entering winter dens.

“They're not in good humor right now,” Lutes said.

In this scenario, the hunters probably never saw the grizzly coming in the thick timber.