A hunter in his 30s severely injured after being mauled by a grizzly bear south of Cochrane, on Thursday afternoon has been identified as Jesse Sayer, a well-known coach and volunteer with the Carstairs Minor Hockey Association. Alberta Fish and Wildlife confirmed the attack happened when two men were hunting in the area around 1 p.m.Sayer's hunting partner shot and is believed to have killed the bear, while a second bear fled the scene, according to a statement from provincial spokesperson Sheena Campbell.STARS air ambulance airlifted Sayer from the rural area along Township Road 242 west of Calgary to the Foothills Medical Centre.According to EMS, he was in serious condition upon arrival but was upgraded to stable, non-life-threatening condition by Friday morning."We see this every hunting season," Bear Safety and More founder Kim Titchener told CBC News."Every hunting season, either here in Canada or the US, we have multiple cases of people getting mauled while hunting."This latest attack comes after a string of grizzly bear incidents over the last several months in Alberta and BC.Joe Pendry, an elk hunter fought off a grizzly attack earlier this month in BC’s East Kootenay region but recently succumbed to his injuries..Bear spray likely saved lives in double BC grizzly attack."We need to change our behaviours and try to do the best we can to make it as safe as possible when we're out either hunting, biking, trail running, or camping with our friends and family," Titchener said.She added that the attack's proximity to Calgary is not unusual, citing two fatal grizzly maulings in nearby Mountain View County, northwest of the city."Historically, grizzly bears did range across Alberta and the prairie environment," Titchener said."It's bear country, and in some cases, bears are moving back into habitat that they once lived in."According to Campbell, Fish and Wildlife officers are currently collecting DNA samples to confirm whether the bear that was shot was the one responsible and are investigating what led to the tragic encounter.Todd Loewen, Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister called the attack "a pretty serious incident.""Our hearts go out to the person that was injured in this incident, and we hope he'll make a full recovery," Loewen said. "We've seen grizzlies way out into the prairies. They're getting close to Calgary, Cochrane, all along the foothills into the Peace Country, the core farmland was never considered grizzly bear area, and it is now too."
