A Florida man is recovering after being mauled by a bear in south Georgia.
Mitch Canady and some hunting buddies were pursuing a bear they'd shot Saturday in Clinch County.
When a dog flushed the bear toward the hunters, the bear knocked Canady down and attacked him. Another hunter kicked the bear off and killed him.
This is a black bear similar to the one that bit hunter Mitch Canady of Macclenny, Florida on Saturday morning while he was hunting in the near GA Hwy 187 and Tower Road near Suwanoochee Creek. 31 year old Dustin Steedley has hunted with Canady in the past.
"He's been bear hunting a long time too, about all his life," said Steedley. "That's why I say it's just one of those accidents."
Steedley says he's hunted bears all his life. He says bear hunters love the adrenaline rush.
"The last three state records, we killed them in Fargo, 598 was the last one last Thursday," said Steedley."It ain't like sitting in a stand waiting on him to walk out. You have to go after him on his terrain."
He says he had never heard of bear injuring a hunter this seriously in Clinch County.
"The only reason the bear done it was because he was hurt," said Steedley. "Bears don't just attack people."
John Selph of Homerville was able to kick the 350 pound bear and get him off of Canady. Canady was air lifted Shand's Hospital in Jacksonville.
Mitch Canady remains in the hospital with injuries to his right wrist, chest, and pelvis.
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