Grizzly bears captured in Eureka, Coram

A pair of grizzly bears were relocated from the Coram and Eureka areas to the North Fork drainage last week.

In a press release sent Monday, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks stated that a sub-adult female grizzly was captured near Eureka after it was observed several times along the river walk on the edge of town. Estimated to be 4 to 5 years old, the 334-pound grizzly was relocated to the Whale Creek area.

The Tobacco Valley News reported two weeks ago that a Eureka man had spotted the bear appearing to stalk his young son, who was playing near a pond on private property.

The grizzly had begun moving toward his son, coming within about 30 yards before the man ran at the bear and fired a gun into the air to frighten it away. A state game warden also reported spotting a grizzly on the nearby river walk while he was attempting to trap a mountain lion that had been spotted in Eureka.

The town’s river walk was subsequently closed while wildlife officials set traps for the bear. They successfully trapped the female bear on Sept. 21.

On the same day, state officials captured a 20-year-old, 412-pound male grizzly in Coram. The bear had reportedly killed unsecured chickens at a private residence, and was later released in the Yakinak drainage near Trail Creek.

The bear had been previously captured near Martin City; first in 2004 after eating cat food left out on a porch, and again in 2012 after killing a pair of domestic turkeys.

Both bears were fitted with radio collars prior to being released.

During the last week, the agency has received additional reports of grizzly bears in the Whitefish, Ferndale and Lake Blaine areas.

Hard freezes in the past two weeks have caused the huckleberries to start dropping, prompting bears to seek out other foods. Some have moved to lower elevations, finding unsecured fruit and attractants such as garbage, pet food, bird seed, livestock feed and poultry. Residents can avoid conflicts with bears by securing attractants and maintaining electric fencing around fruit trees and livestock. In Montana, it is illegal to feed bears and ungulates.

For additional information about living in bear country, visit fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beBearAware.