Grizzly bears beginning to emerge from dens

Glacier National Park officials advise park visitors to be aware that bears are emerging from their dens, and Flathead Valley residents are reminded to secure potential bear attractants.

Bear tracks in the snow have been spotted in the park, the telltale seasonal sign that hibernation is coming to an end.

 “Bear tracks in the snow are a good reminder that Glacier National Park is bear country and park visitors need to be alert for bear activity and to be familiar with and comply with safety regulations,” Glacier Superintendent Chas Cartwright said.

Visitors are advised to travel in groups and to make noise while hiking, particularly near streams and at blind spots on trails. They also are urged to keep food, garbage and other potential attractants stored in hard-sided vehicles.

Meanwhile, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has reports of bears starting to stir in other parts of Northwest Montana.

There was a report of a black bear in the Whitefish area and a grizzly bear with a yearling in the St. Ignatius area over the last couple weeks, according to Tim Manley, a state grizzly bear management specialist.

Tracking collar downloads showed that a female grizzly with two yearlings and another female grizzly have started to move in Glacier Park, Manley said.

Satellite and radio transmitter tracking collars automatically activate on March 15.

Typically, male bears emerge first in mid-March and females with cubs of the year come out of their dens last.

“They’ll dig out of ten feet of snow” from their dens, Manley said. “A lot of times, they’ll stay around the den site for a week or so and then they’ll start to wander around.”

Bears typically move to lower elevations where food sources can more easily be found.

A persistent snow pack last spring played a part in about 18 grizzly bears moving to the lower western slopes of the Swan Mountains from mid-April to mid-May, some of them to areas near rural homes. Manley ended up trapping and relocating five grizzly bears.

“The potential for conflict is higher because they are down in the valley,” he said.

For that reason, rural homeowners are urged to bring in bird feeders, garbage, pet foods and other potential bear attractants.