1 bear dead following empty-tent attack near Troy

A pair of black bears attacked an empty camping tent at Bull Lake, south of Troy, early Wednesday morning, alarming several people in a nearby cabin who believed the tent was still occupied.

A press release sent by the agency later in the day stated that one of the bears was shot and killed by a responding Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy, while the other is the subject of an ongoing hunt.

“At about 4:45 a.m., the occupants of the cabin observed the tent was collapsed and two bears were tearing apart the tent,” the press release states.

“They yelled out and were not able to get a response and observed what they thought was blood in the low light conditions. They reported what they thought was an attack and waited for authorities to arrive.”

The deputy arrived to find a “mangled tent in the yard and two black bears,” and responded by shooting one of the bears. The four individuals who had been occupying the tent earlier had left at about midnight, before the attack, due to bear activity in the area, according to the release.

Trapping efforts are ongoing for the second bear, which will be euthanized if caught. State wildlife officials believe the two adult bears were food-conditioned and had been getting food rewards at the residences in the area.

Intentionally feeding bears and other wildlife is illegal in Montana, as it can lead to aggressive bear behavior and building, trailer and vehicle break-ins as the animals search for food.