Quebec conservation officers are on the hunt for a bear that killed a 70-year-old woman in Abitibi on the weekend.

Provincial police say Alexandre Lavoie went looking for his wife Cécile on Friday evening when she didn't return from a solo trip to a fishing hole along the Theo River near La Sarre, about 575 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

Police spokesman Gregory Gomez del Prado said Lavoie, 73, found his wife's body and spotted a bear nearby.

He called police, but when officers located the bear, it seemed aggressive, and night had already fallen, making it hard to see.

Police located Lavoie's body Saturday when they returned to the area with conservation officers. Lavoie was carrying bear spray when she went fishing, del Prado said.

Conservation officers aren't sure whether the bear was male or female, or whether there were cubs nearby. It's unusual for black bears to show aggression towards humans except in certain circumstances, and Lavoie's death "is not a common attack," del Prado said.

The mother of five and grandmother of 11 had extensive hunting and fishing experience in the area.

Authorities are tracking the bear and set traps, hoping to find the animal and get answers about Lavoie's death.

Bear-mauling deaths are rare in Quebec, with four people killed in the last 25 years, according to provincial wildlife officials.

The last fatal black bear attack was in Val d'Or, in 2003, another Abitibi town.

With files from the Canadian Press