Black bear finds feast in tent

The Daily Inter Lake

A tent used to store food twice proved irresistible for a black bear at West Shore State Park on Flathead Lake.

If captured, the bear will be destroyed because of its newfound familiarity with food in tents, said bear management specialist Erik Wenum of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Wenum said that a bear had been seen last week roaming near the park, which was not unusual considering there is an abundance of chokecherries and serviceberries above the west shore.

On Saturday, the bear entered the park's upper loop campsites.

"A guy had a bunch of food in a tent and he left the site unattended," Wenum said. "The bear came and smelled the food and ripped into the tent and got quite a bit of food."

When the man returned, he put his remaining food in an unlocked metal box, stored it in his tattered tent and left the campground once again to buy a new tent.

"As I understand it, in the course of his travels the bear came back and went to the tent again and got more food," Wenum said.

Wenum responded Sunday, putting up a baited culvert trap in the upper loop, prompting campsites in that part of the park to be closed.

If the bear is caught, it will be destroyed because "now it has gotten people foods in association with a tent," Wenum said.