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Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Condon landowner kills grizzly in self defense
A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license). A landowner in northwest Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear on June 3, after it reportedly charged at close range. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the landowners was not harmed during the encounter. On the night of June 3, a man heard noises outside his residence in the Swan Valley between Condon and Seeley Lake and disturbances with his dogs and livestock. The man went outside to check on his animals and a grizzly bear charged at him. The man shot and killed the bear. According to FWP's grizzly mortality dashboard, the bear was a male grizzly. It was the sixth known grizzly death in the state this year and first in Flathead County. In 2024, FWP reported 29 grizzly deaths from conflict management, self-defense, train or car accidents, poaching incidents or accidental take from mistaking a grizzly for a black bear. The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration. Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists could encounter them in more places each year. Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters: Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately. Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence. Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears. Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency. If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so. Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas. Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana. For more information and resources on bear safety, visit
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mushroom foragers kill grizzly bear near Choteau
A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license). Two Montana men foraging for mushrooms in the north-central part of the state shot and killed a grizzly bear on May 21, after it reportedly charged them at close range. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the two men were not harmed during the encounter. The two local landowners were picking mushrooms about a mile north of Choteau on Wednesday evening when they came across the adult female grizzly bear, which charged them. The men shot and killed the bear at close range. 'I spoke to John and Justin shortly after the incident and they were both still shook up,' Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Christy Clark said in a press release. 'They told me their story and it was clear it was very traumatic. What's important here is they're OK.' FWP officials said the female grizzly killed had a cub of the year with her at the time of the encounter, and the agency is attempting to capture the cub. This is the fourth known grizzly bear mortality in 2025, according to FWP's grizzly mortality dashboard, and the second grizzly death in Teton County this spring. The other mortality in Teton County is listed as under investigation, but FWP at the time described it as self defense. The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration. Bears are active along the Rocky Mountain Front and in areas around towns like Choteau, Ulm and Cascade. If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call your local FWP bear specialist. You can locate their contact information here. As bears emerge from hibernation throughout the spring, FWP officials remind all Montanans heading into frontcountry or backcountry terrain to always carry bear spray, travel in groups, make noise, and keep garbage, food and other attractants in secure bins or buildings
