In the statement, officials say the man, who has not been identified by name, was walking from his vehicle to his front door with his girlfriend. But then, she screamed and he looked over and saw a grizzly bear running in her direction.

Fortunately, the man was removing items from his vehicle, which included a shotgun. So he managed to aim the weapon at the bear and pull the trigger. And the animal immediately turned and ran away.

Later, officers with the state’s Department of Fish & Game responded to a call about a dead bear near a roadway. They conducted an investigation and traced the yearling male back to the man’s house. However, they determined that the man “acted in defense-of-life during a surprise encounter with the bear from a short distance.”

Although grizzlies are protected under state and federal law, in some states like Idaho, it is lawful to open fire on a grizzly if it attacks you.

What to do to prevent a grizzly bear attack

According to the National Park Service, bear attacks are incredibly rare, especially by brown bears like grizzly bears. Numbers vary, but in general, there are only a few dozen attacks globally each year.

Still, Idaho wildlife experts say you should still take precautions, especially if you live in grizzly country. Their tips include:

• Properly dispose of any attractants, which includes food, trash, compost, and other items bears can eat.
• Secure your pet food because bears enjoy pet food just as much as your pets do.
• More often than not, your secure location should be in a hard-sided building with four walls, a roof, and a locking door.
• Don’t fill your bird feeders until the wintertime.
• Don’t bury or throw garbage into the woods.
• And clean your grill and/or keep it in the building, if possible.