Oct. 31 (UPI) — Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday that a missing, overdue deer hunter was the likely victim of a fatal bear mauling.
The remains of 50-year-old Tad Fujioka were found in the Sitka area Wednesday afternoon.
The Alaska State Trooper dispatch said, “On Oct. 30, 2024, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, USCG, and Sitka SAR, conducted land-based searches utilizing three search teams in the remote wooded area that were transported by AWT Patrol Vessel and Sitka SAR vessel. At approximately 11:30am, search teams located Fujioka’s remains.”
An investigation found the likely cause of death was bear mauling.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety said Fujioka had killed a deer at the location before he was mauled “by at least one bear.”
Department spokesperson Tim DeSpain said, “The area is remote and there are a lot of bears in that area.”
He said brown bears were the only type of bear in the area where Fujioka was killed.
Fujioka was reported as overdue from his deer hunting trip in the Sitka area Tuesday evening. A Go Fund Me site was set up to help the family.
Sitka is on Baranof Island in southeaster Alaska, roughly 90 miles from Juneau.