Wildlife officials try to trap bear cub

State wildlife officials are trying to capture an orphaned black bear cub in the Yaak after it was lured to a house.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear management specialist Kim Annis said Thursday a woman feeding deer on her property inadvertently attracted a roughly 20-pound yearling cub that hadn’t been able to den for the winter.

The cub was reported two days ago.

“It obviously has been making it all alone for some time, but after finding this food at the house it’s not likely to leave any time soon,” Annis said. “It’s found a bit of a safe haven, so we’re attempting to capture it and hopefully give it the boost it needs to survive the next two months.”

If caught, the cub may be transported to the state rehabilitation facility in Helena, where biologists will attempt to fatten it up enough to release it by early spring.

But Annis said if it is in very poor condition, euthanasia could be necessary.

She noted that while most bears have long been asleep in their dens for the winter, her office has received several reports of bears still out and about, including sightings in the Yaak and Bull Lake areas. This is the first cub that has been reported since Thanksgiving.

“Life was difficult for bears last year,” she said. “And they found the easy way out of that, which was to find the people that leave food out and go to their places instead.”

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.