Bothersome bear back in trouble

Relocated grizzly returns to stir up more problems

A young grizzly bear that was moved to the South Fork Flathead drainage two weeks ago has returned to the Swan Lake area with the same bad habits that prompted its capture in the first place.

The bear was captured just north of the town of Swan Lake just before the Memorial Day weekend - just a week after its sibling was captured in the same area.

Tim Manley, a state grizzly bear management specialist, hauled the young bear to the Sullivan Creek drainage on the east side of the Swan Mountain Range.

"In four days, he ended up in the Ferndale area," Manley said.

Since then, the young male has been getting into garbage cans, dog food and bird feeders around Swan Lake, and it has even pushed its way into garages.

"The fact that he's actually coming in around the houses, and he's gotten into garages, and he's starting to break into things, he's not going to be released if we catch him again," Manley said.

The bear will most likely be destroyed, but there is a chance for it to be moved to a zoo or some other type of captive facility. That decision will be made by a panel of bear managers once it is caught.

Mike Frey, caretaker at Edwards Cedar Lodge on the northwest shore of Swan Lake, said both bears and their mother got into garbage at the lodge early this spring. Soon after, the two siblings were "kicked off" by the sow, and they carried on with the practices they were taught.

The first sibling that was captured was fitted with a radio collar and released nearby with a dose of "aversive conditioning" - hazing with cracker shells, bean-bag rounds and rubber bullets fire from a shotgun, followed with a chase from Karelian bear dogs.

That bear has since moved into the mountains and has stayed out of trouble.

"We just tend to have more success" with aversive conditioning releases, Manley said.

"The reason we didn't do that with the second male was that it was right around Memorial Day weekend and we didn't feel comfortable doing an on-site release around Swan Lake," Manley said.

Frey said the bear has returned to Cedar Lodge, even though Manley had brought in bear-proof garbage containers and gotten rid of other potential attractants at the property.

"He brought some bear-proof cans down right away and showed us what we should be doing different," Frey said. "He got our property squared away right away. I've been real pleased with the response."

But the bear has caused problems at other properties. Frey said it recently broke windows at a neighboring lodge.

The bear has since crossed over Crane Mountain, and Manley was attempting catch it Monday afternoon in the Woods Bay area on Flathead Lake.

"We are trying to capture him, but he keeps just bouncing around," Manley said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com