A grizzly bear charged a man near his residence along Foothill Road east of Kalispell on the night of July 10.
The landowner heard a disturbance outside and discovered the bear getting into a chicken coop. The bear approached him, and he shot and killed it. Fortunately, the man was uninjured in the encounter. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the incident.
If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. You can locate local contact information here - fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/contact
Be bear aware
Montana is bear country. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Photo: Pixabay
Information: Montana FWP
