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A VETERAN has been mauled by a pair of grizzly bears after a search for an injured deer made a deadly turn.
Rudy Noorlander’s jaw was ripped off when he was ambushed by the bears in the forests of Gallatin County, Montana, on Friday.
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Although the attack left Noorlander with horrific injuries, he is currently in stable condition at a Salt Lake City, Utah, hospital, his family confirmed.
Noorlander’s heartbroken daughter gave terrifying details of the attack in a GoFundMe.
The veteran, who owns and operates an ATV company, was out wandering in the woods of Big Sky after some hunters told him that they lost a deer after shooting it.
The outdoorsman followed what he thought was the trail of the injured prey until he stumbled on a predator.
He reached for his gun so he could scare the hurt grizzly away with warning shots, but he misfired when a second 10-foot beast jumped out at him.
With no time to react, Noorlander had nothing left to do but put his fists up and hope a punch in the nose would slow it down.
But the mad grizzly refused to stop and tackled him to the ground while tearing into his face.
“The grizzly left a large scratch down his right chest, bit his arms, legs, and to top it all off, gave him what Rudy describes as the most disgusting French kiss of his life,” his daughter said.
The hunters were not far behind him and were able to scare the bears off shortly after the attack began.
But this left Noorlander writhing in agony with his jaw barely attached while an emergency helicopter searched for a safe place to land.
“Rudy was lying on the ground for an additional 2 hours (while still fully conscious) until he was able to be picked up by the flight crew,” the GoFundMe reads.
“An amazing feat of strength as he did not pass out from fear, pain, or blood loss.”
The fundraiser has already amassed $15,000 of its $25,000 target to pay for medical expenses, including an extended hospital stay.
The attack happened south of Big Sky, a popular resort area about 55 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.
The US Forest Service implemented an emergency closure in the area so authorities could look for the bear.
The grizzly had not been found as of Monday, and no bears at all had been located in the area, according to Montana wildlife spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen.
The agency is still investigating but believes the grizzly bear was protecting an animal carcass it had cached nearby.
