Montana hiker dies in apparent grizzly attack, sheriff says

A Montana hiker who went missing on Wednesday was found dead Friday in a suspected encounter with a grizzly bear, authorities said.

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Craig Cloutare, 40, of Livingstone, went missing in the Six Mile Creek area of Paradise Valley, The Livingstone Enterprise reported.

Clouatre, married and the father of four children, was found dead by Park County Search and Rescue officials, according to the Billings Gazette. His death was announced by Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler posted on the department’s Facebook page.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I am writing this update,” Bichler wrote. “After an extensive search this morning we have located Craig. It appears he had an encounter with a grizzly and unfortunately did not survive.

“Please keep his family and all those involved in your thoughts and prayers.”

Bichler told The Enterprise that Clouatre and a friend went into the area, possibly to hunt for antler sheds, on Wednesday morning.

“They split up at some point later in the morning,” Bichler told the newspaper. “When the other man returned to their vehicle and his friend wasn’t there, he called us and we began searching Wednesday night.”

The search continued Thursday and resumed Friday morning, the Gazette reported. Ground and aircrews were used in the search, and a thermal imaging camera was flown on Thursday night, according to the newspaper.

The search resumed Friday morning with horse teams, ground teams and helicopters, according to The Enterprise.

Clouatre’s father told The Associated Press that his son grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Montana more than two decades ago.

“He was a joy to have as a son all the way around,” David Clouatre told the AP. “He was a good man, a good, hardworking family man.”

This is the first suspected grizzly bear mauling of the year in Montana, the newspaper reported. In 2021, two people were killed in grizzly attacks. One was a cyclist who was camping in Ovando and the other was a West Yellowstone guide fishing along the Madison River, according to The Enterprise.

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