http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=c3898b26-465e-451c-aeb3-7c711a2b489a&k=36387

Hunter's body found mauled by grizzly
Autopsy today will establish cause of death

Sherri Zickefoose
Calgary Herald; With files from Dan Singleton, for the Calgary Herald

Thursday, November 29, 2007

The body of a missing Calgary hunter has been found mauled by a grizzly bear after an extensive three-day search of a thickly wooded area near Sundre.

Don Allan Peters, 51, was discovered by searchers Wednesday, covered in brush 200 metres from his truck.

"All his gear was there and it was all camouflaged," said Roger Tetreault of Sundre Search and Rescue.

"He was supposedly in an orange vest. I didn't see the orange vest at the site. Without that bright colour, he was very difficult to spot. Even his boots were camouflaged. The bottom of his boots were black and that's the one thing that stood out."

Searchers found Peters' rifle nearby and what appeared to be bear tracks.

Peters, an experienced woodsman familiar with the region, was reported missing Sunday night in the Ya Ha Tinda area, about 50 kilometres west of Sundre.

Mounties say Peters' death does not appear suspicious.

An autopsy is scheduled today to determine if Peters was killed by a bear or if he died of natural causes.

Since early Monday, searchers on quads, snowmobiles, horseback and on foot were scouring the thick brush.

The area his remains were found in had been visually checked by people on the ground and from the air, but weren't found until a detailed ground search was conducted.

"He was in behind a couple of dry logs, flat on the ground with some snow on him, under a big spruce tree with lots of branches. It would have been impossible to see him from the air," Tetreault said.

Peters was expected to return at 2 p.m. Sunday. His friend searched for him and found only his vehicle.

Fish and Wildlife officers will be called to investigate if the medical examiner determines Peters died from a bear attack.

"Any animal that shows aggression toward people is investigated," said spokesman Darcy Whiteside.

While people may think bears are hibernating, it's common for bruins to still be looking for food, he said.

"Bears don't hibernate fully. Especially if they're hungry or the weather kind of warms up," he said.