KALISPELL — A grizzly bear charged a landowner near his residence between Condon and Seeley Lake in northwest Montana. On the night of June 3, the landowner heard noises outside his residence and disturbances with his livestock and dogs. He walked outside onto his property to check on his animals and that’s when the bear charged at him. The man shot and killed the bear. Thankfully, he was uninjured during the encounter.
Bears are active across the region. If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call your local Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear specialist. You can locate their contact information here.
Be bear aware
Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists could encounter them in more places each year.
Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:
- Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
- Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
- Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
- Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
- If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.
- Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
- Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.
For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.
Source: Montana FWP
photo: Pixabay
