Officials Say: Alaska Deer Hunter Found Dead in Suspected Brown Bear Mauling
Anchorage, Alaska—A 50-year-old hunter has been discovered deceased in an apparent brown bear attack on an island in southeastern Alaska, officials revealed on Thursday.
Tad Fujioka, a resident of Sitka, was reported missing on Tuesday evening after failing to return from a solitary hunting excursion on the densely wooded Baranof Island, according to the Alaska State Troopers.
On Wednesday, Fujioka’s body was located by state wildlife troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Sitka search and rescue teams. It appeared that bears had attacked Fujioka and consumed a deer he had taken down.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted three brown bears near the deer kill site and informed the ground search teams, stated troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain in an email to The Associated Press.
Troopers, along with personnel from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, scouted the area for the bears until nightfall but were unable to locate them, DeSpain added. Fujioka’s remains were recovered and his family was notified.
