Mauling victim 'made people laugh no matter what'

The victim of a bear mauling Wednesday was remembered as a top-notch law enforcement officer.

Brad Treat, 38, died when a grizzly attacked him while he was riding a mountain bike in the Green Gate area of Flathead National Forest south of West Glacier.

Treat, who lived in West Glacier, was a career law enforcement officer for the U.S. Forest Service.

Rob Davies, Hungry Horse/Glacier View district ranger for Flathead National Forest, had high praise for Treat, a Kalispell native.

“I’ve worked with the Forest Service for 25 years,” Davies said Thursday. “He was the best law enforcement officer I’ve ever worked with.”

Law enforcement officers in the Forest Service work separately from district rangers, Davies noted.

But Treat treated people like family, Davies said.

“He was a super-committed employee,” Davies said.

Treat had a way of making people laugh, even in difficult and trying circumstances, Davies noted.

“His sense of humor was amazing,” Davies said. “He made people laugh no matter what.”

According to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry, “Brad was an integral member of our area law enforcement team and a friend to us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Treat attended Flathead High School and was a standout distance runner in track and cross-country in the 1990s.

According to his coach, Paul Jorgensen, Treat won Class AA state championships in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in 1996 and went on to compete for the University of Montana.

“Great kid and a fine runner,” Jorgenson said in an email. “He will be missed.”