Man cited for feeding bears, other wildlife

The Daily Inter Lake

A North Fork man has pleaded innocent after he was recently cited for feeding bears and other wildlife near his home.

Warden Lee Anderson of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said William Molchan was cited in early October for "providing supplemental feed to game animals in a manner that resulted in a threat to public safety" in the Home Ranch Bottoms area near Polebridge.

Because Molchan pleaded not guilty last Friday in Flathead County Justice Court and the case is still pending, Anderson said he could not discuss details of the misdemeanor case.

"Basically, he was providing supplemental feed to game animals and there were bears coming into that site," Anderson said.

A law approved by the Legislature several years ago makes it illegal for people to knowingly feed wildlife, particularly when doing so attracts bears.

Anderson said the law includes provisions that require state officials to warn individuals who have inadvertently attracted wildlife.

"But this deal would be separate from that," he said. "If a person is intentionally feeding bears specifically, there is no warning needed there."