A man has survived after being charged at by a grizzly bear while hunting birds in the US.

The 51-year-old was forced to defend himself after surprising the adult male bear at Glacier National Park in Montana on Tuesday afternoon.

The man, from Washington state, and his wife were hunting on private property with their dogs, Montana wildlife officials said.

He came face to face with the bear in a creek bottom east of the town of Choteau after trying to flush out a bird.

The bear charged out of the brush, knocking the man over and stepping on him during the encounter, according to Dave Hagengruber, spokesman for the state wildlife department.

The bear, which weighed 677lb (307kg), retreated after being wounded by the man, who fired a shotgun and a handgun.

He and his wife fled the scene before notifying the authorities.

The man was admitted to hospital on Tuesday night but did not suffer any claw or bite marks.

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Grizzly bears are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, but officials including bear management specialists and game wardens decided the bear should be euthanised because of the injuries it suffered.

A drone was used to find the animal, which had no known history of attacking humans.

Evidence suggested the bear attacked after being surprised at the site.

The state wildlife department issued guidance warning people to be vigilant in “bear country”, which covers most of western Montana.

Advice includes carrying bear spray, taking care in areas with poor visibility and hunting in groups.

Since 2010, grizzly bears in the region are thought to have claimed the lives of at least eight people.

One bear mauled a woman to death in a remote campsite in Montana in July last year.

Leah Davis Lokan, 65, encountered the bear about an hour before she was attacked and scared it away, but it returned in the early hours and killed her.

Experts believe the bear had become “food conditioned” and was attracted to the smell of food in and near her tent.

A 40-year-old hiker from Montana is also believed to have died in a suspected grizzly bear attack north of Yellowstone National Park in March this year.

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