Authorities found two bear cubs after an archery deer hunter fatally shot an adult female bear with a handgun when it charged him in the Payson area.

The state Game and Fish Department says the bear wasn't provoked and that the hunter was defending himself when the bear charged him from about 20 feet Sunday.

The department says Game and Fish officers who responded found two cubs too young to survive on their own. They were captured for placement with a wildlife park.

Department Field Supervisor Larry Phoenix said evidence supports the hunter's account and that it's very possible he would have been seriously injured if he hadn't shot the bear.

The department advises that people in the wild stay a safe distance away from wildlife and not encourage interactions.