Oregon man shoots bear twice for attacking chickens — but the same bear returns to attack him

An Oregon man who shot a bear that had been harassing his chickens was attacked by the very same animal the following day.

Craig Lankford shot the bear Tuesday evening after noticing the giant creature was disturbing the chickens he keeps at his home in La Grande, a city of about 13,000 in eastern Oregon.

When Lankford went out the following morning to try and search for the grizzly, he shot the creature a second time after encountering it near his property on Owsley Canyon Road, according to a news release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Soon after the bear attacked Lankford, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies were notified of the attack just after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and immediately closed nearby roads and the neighboring Mount Emily Recreation Area hoping to contain the injured bear and avoid further attacks.

According to officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, wounded bears can be especially dangerous.

ODFW is aware of at least three incidents when wounded bears attacked hunters who had shot but not killed them.

None of those attacks were fatal.

While bear attacks are rare, they tend to occur most when bears are wounded, when they are being fed by people and lose their natural wariness or when they are surprised by people or other animals.

With help from the USDA Wildlife Services, around 11 a.m. a bear consistent with Lankford’s description was spotted near the site of the attack and euthanized.

A necropsy was performed and bullet fragments consistent with Lankford’s report confirmed the bear that had been taken was the one involved in the attack.

Lankford suffered injuries to his arms and head but is expected to recover. He is currently being treated at an area hospital.

Oregon has not documented any fatal bear attacks.