Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

A man who was attacked by a bear while elk hunting in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday was expected to be released by Tuesday evening.

Timothy Hix, 32,  was hunting in some trees when the bear attacked. Hix told rangers he rolled up in a ball and the bear bit him, then left.

Hix was carrying bear spray, but did not have a chance to use it, officials said.  Hix used his cellphone to call for help.

Park staff found an elk carcass - "cached and buried by a bear" - near the site.

Park officials instituted a quarter-mile closure around the area where the attack occurred.

Some say the combination of gut piles left behind by elk hunters and the park’s burgeoning grizzly bear population is a combustible mix that puts both humans and bears at risk.