A Saskatchewan man is in hospital with serious injuries after he was attacked by a black bear on Monday evening.
Family members of the 39-year-old say he was bow hunting in a tree stand in a wooded area near Weirdale, Sask., when a female bear and three cubs walked into the area. The man was attacked after the female bear climbed the tree.
Family members say the bear was extremely aggressive. The man used his arrow to stab the bear and was eventually able to fight her off, but he suffered serious injuries.
He was able to climb down the tree, walk nearly a kilometre to his vehicle, and drive almost 10 minutes to his brother's house. The brother called 911 and the man was taken to Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.
The 39-year-old has since been moved to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, where his family says he is in stable condition with a long road to recovery ahead.
Conservation officer Kevin Harrison says there are traps set up to catch the bear, who may also be injured from the attack.
The bear may be put down if they catch her. Black bears are typically scared of humans and this attack is unusual, Harrison says.
"That's still a mystery to me. The strength and determination from this individual to get back to his truck and get home the way he did and get help is quite a miracle,” Harrison said.
Parkland Ambulance picked the man up. Director of Public Affairs Lyle Karasiuk says he has never had a call like this in the Prince Albert area.
"We don't see a large number of bear attacks or injuries. We hear of people who have encountered bears and either manage to get away or scare the wildlife away themselves, but this is highly unusual," Karasiuk said.
The man's family does not want to release his name at this time. Weirdale is about 190 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
