The man who said a bear mauled him in the Grand Junction area was not attacked after all, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.
The department began investigating after the report on Saturday evening.
A hunter in his 60s was parked on his ATV on Forest Service Road 105, above Powderhorn Ski Resort, on the Grand Mesa. He says a bear approached and attacked, causing him to drive over a small cliff. He landed on large rocks and suffered extensive, but not life-threatening injuries.
"We found conclusive evidence that a bear did not attack this individual," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager JT Romatzke.
Authorities examined the man's injuries and the scene over the last three days.
They say the man is adamant he saw a bear. CPW doesn't discount that he saw something; they believe, rather, that perhaps he saw something that cause him to react.
The hunter's name won't be released.