A female grizzly and one of her yearling cubs were reportedly shot and killed by a Montana hunter. The man claimed he shot in self-defense after those bears, and another yearling, ran at him and his hunting partner.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is leading an ongoing investigation of the Wednesday incident, which happened near Seeley Lake in a remote area of Missoula County, Montana.

Grizzlies remain under Endangered Species Act protection in the Lower 48 and may not be hunted. They can, however, be legally killed in self-defense or in defense of others.

State game agencies and the FWS investigate claims of grizzlies being killed in self-defense to determine if the killings were justified.

Mule Deer Carcass Involved

The two hunters, who were not named in reports, told inves

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