Hungry grizzlies are busy across NW Montana

Grizzly bear activity and conflicts have seen an expected increase this month as the bears forage for food before hibernation.

“While it seems like a lot of bears are causing conflicts, out of the estimated population of 1,000 grizzly bears in Northwest Montana, it is only 20 to 30 grizzly bears that are involved with conflicts,” state grizzly bear specialist Tim Manley said in a news release.

Manley, who works for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park, prepared a summary of recent grizzly bear activity:

•  A grizzly bear was seen walking through yards looking for apples in Eureka. Traps have been set, but the bear has not been captured.
•  A trail camera photographed three grizzly bears disturbing a buried dead horse west of Fortine. One of the bears was wearing a radio collar that hasn’t been functioning properly. Two culvert traps were set in the area while the horse was reburied and surrounded by an electric fence and a camera system.

An unmarked young adult male was captured in the trap on Sept. 6 before being radio-collared and translocated to the Whitefish Mountain Range.

The grizzly bear with the malfunctioning radio collar never returned to the area and Fish, Wildlife and Parks removed the traps.

•  During that same week, a grizzly bear was reported breaking branches off of fruit trees west of Lake Blaine. Electric fencing and traps were set near the trees, but the bear was never captured. The fencing prevented any further damage to the trees and Fish, Wildlife and Parks pulled the trap.
•  Right after Labor Day, an adult male grizzly bear that had been killing chickens and eating apples was captured. The bear, which weighed 473 pounds, was radio-collared and moved to the Puzzle Creek drainage south of Marias Pass.
•  A large male grizzly bear that killed several chickens near Ferndale on Sept. 9 prompted officials to install an electric fence and a culvert trap. The male grizzly returned to the site but did not attempt the electric fence and evaded the trap.

On Sept. 11, an adult female grizzly bear and its cub were captured in the culvert trap. Both bears were translocated to the Sullivan Creek drainage.

One night after the trap was reset for the adult male grizzly at the Ferndale property, a radio-collared female grizzly was captured, separating the bear from its two cubs. With permission of the residents, the female was released on Sept. 17 to avoid separating the family.

•  On Sept. 16, a landowner south of Ferndale photographed a female grizzly bear with three cubs. The residents told Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials that the bears had not yet caused any conflicts. Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials suggested to area residents with fruit trees and chickens to pick up their fruit and make sure electric fencing protecting the chicken coops were functioning properly.
•  A female grizzly bear with a cub killed a small group of chickens north of Polebridge before feeding on chicken feed and grain. Bear managers are working with local residents to install electric fencing near the chicken coops.
•  A vehicle hit and killed a subadult grizzly bear on Sept. 12 on Montana 83 near the Condon Work Center. The bear is suspected to be the grizzly reported for feeding on roadkill just south of the area in previous weeks.

Grizzly bears typically den by end of November. Until then, bears often migrate to lower areas to find fruit trees and other food.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks advises people to be proactive about avoiding conflicts with bears by taking down bird feeders, keeping garbage, pet food and grain indoors, picking fruit as soon as it is ripe and make sure all electric fencing is properly functioning.

For more information, visit http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beBearAware.

Reporter Seaborn Larson can be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.