Tag Archives: grizzly bear

Cherry-loving grizzly in trouble again this year

A young grizzly bear browses a cherry tree on Dakota Avenue in Whitefish, Aug 2016 - by Jan Metzmaker
A young grizzly bear browses a cherry tree on Dakota Avenue in Whitefish, Aug 2016 – by Jan Metzmaker

Remember the grizzly photographed sitting in a cherry tree in Whitefish last year? This spring, still a nuisance, it was captured again and relocated to the Spotted Bear River drainage . . .

A 3-year-old male grizzly bear that had been spotted feeding in yards and pastures near Fortine has been captured and released in the Spotted Bear River drainage.

The bear was captured on May 23 in the Deep Creek drainage and released the next day, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials.

The bear was “very habituated to human activity and being around homes,” according to a press release, and landowners were concerned about how much time the bear was spending around homes. FWP made the decision to capture the bear and relocate it to a more remote location.

Read more . . .

Biker was attacked by older male grizzly

The final official word on the fatal bear attack near West Glacier on June 29 . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) personnel have received additional information on the bear attack on a mountain biker on June 29 on Forest Service property a few miles south of West Glacier. Brad Treat, a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service, was fatally mauled when he encountered a bear while riding his mountain bike on the Green Gate/Half Moon trail system off of U.S. Highway 2. Treat was found dead by officers at the scene of the attack.

Based on the Wildlife Human Attack Response Team investigation, Treat collided with the bear in a surprise encounter on a section of trail that contains limited sight distances, which lead to a very short reaction time before the collision. The team collected evidence samples that were submitted in an effort to determine animal species, sex, DNA profile and whether this is a known or unknown bear.

The DNA results show that the bear involved in the collision and subsequent attack was a known male grizzly bear, approximately 20 years of age. This bear has no management history and as far as we know the bear has not had any previous conflicts with humans. The bear was captured and released in 2006 in Glacier National Park as part of an ongoing research project and at that time was aged at approximately 8 – 10 years. Due to the parameters of the research project the bear was not fitted with a radio collar. The bear was again identified through DNA from hair samples collected from rub trees in 2009 and 2011.

At this time, FWP has concluded its investigation into this incident.

Problem griz from Marias River area given new home on the North Fork

Another problem griz got a free ride to the North Fork earlier this week . . .

A 4-year-old male grizzly bear has been captured near the lower Marias River and relocated west of Glacier National Park after a family reported lambs and a calf had been killed.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear manager Mike Madel tells the Great Falls Tribune that a family reported last Friday that a couple of lambs had been killed and the next day they found a dead calf. Officials confirmed a grizzly killed the animals.

The 440-pound bear was captured Sunday. Because it had not been captured before, a radio collar was placed on the bear and it was released near the North Fork of the Flathead River.

Continue reading . . .

Griz relocated to Coal Creek meets its end near Whitefish

Another case of “a fed bear is a dead bear”: The grizzly bear that was relocated to the Coal Creek area in July and soon became a nuisance near Whitefish, has been put down by Montana FWP…

Wildlife officials euthanized a male grizzly bear that was rummaging through food sources near residences outside of Whitefish, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced Thursday.

FWP officials captured the 238-pound subadult male grizzly Wednesday along the Stillwater River, southwest of Whitefish near the KM Ranch Road. The bear had been moved in July from the Lincoln area into the Coal Creek Drainage of the Whitefish Range north of Columbia Falls. Over the course of a month, it crossed the Whitefish Divide and traveled along the Stillwater River between Lupfer Meadows and Lost Creek. FWP said it received numerous reports of the bear getting into livestock feed, pet food, garbage, bird feeders and apples.

Continue reading . . .

Griz relocated to North Fork a few days ago in trouble again near Whitefish

That grizzly bear relocated into the North Fork from Lincoln a few days ago has already made its way over the Whitefish Divide and into trouble . . .

A grizzly bear that recently was moved from the Lincoln area to the North Fork Flathead drainage has showed up for trouble again, this time in a neighborhood about 10 miles north of Whitefish off U.S. 93.

The bear, a 2-year-old male weighing 150 pounds, was released in the lower Coal Creek area on July 22, but it managed to cross the Whitefish Divide and move south, turning up at the home of Carol Mystic in the Tamarack Creek area just four days later.

Continue reading . . .

Grizzly bear moved from Lincoln area to North Fork

Another nuisance griz got the boot from more settled areas and introduced to the North Fork . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists and field assistants captured a grizzly bear last week that had become too comfortable grazing near homes in the Lincoln area. Crews relocated the bear to the North Fork of the Flathead on Sunday.

FWP bear management specialist Jamie Jonkel said the bear was mostly eating clover, but also got into some birdseed, one bag of garbage and 100 pounds of water-damaged winter wheat that was on a property on 7-Up Ranch Lane.

Continue reading . . .

A grizzly takes a serious swim

There’s no explicit North Fork connection, here, but North Forkers tend to be grizzly aficionados and this is a good griz story . . .

Could it be webbed claws? Or maybe an ancient connection to a Labrador bloodline?

In any case, a young grizzly bear has demonstrated Olympian swimming skills on Flathead Lake, proved with GPS data from a satellite collar that was recovered Monday near the town of Swan Lake…

Mace calculated that the bear traveled 1,200 miles on land and water while she was wearing the collar from June 2010 to September 2011…

Continue reading . . .

Wardens looking for wounded grizzly bear near Polebridge

Oops! Missed this item posted last Friday to the Hungry Horse News site . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the wounding of a grizzly bear near the intersection of the Red Meadow Creek Road and the North Fork Road north of Polebridge.

FWP wardens and biologists investigated the scene on June 2 and tracked the grizzly but were unable to locate it. A trap was set in the area for the bear.

Residents, hikers and other outdoor recreationists are advised to use caution in the Polebridge area until more is learned about the situation. The investigation is ongoing.

Bears on the move in Glacier National Park

It’s that time again. The bears are starting to get up and moving. The folks in Glacier National Park are seeing fresh tracks . . .

Recent observations of bear tracks in the snow indicate bears are emerging from hibernation and venturing out looking for food in and around Glacier National Park. Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright remarked, “Bear tracks in the snow are a good reminder that Glacier National Park is bear country and park visitors need to be alert for bear activity and to be familiar with and comply with safety regulations.”

Continue reading . . .

Trophy seekers fuel poaching increase

Today’s Missoulian has an article on the increased number of poachers this year who seem to be killing game just to get a little ego boost . . .

The poacher who pulled the trigger on Maximus — one of Montana’s greatest grizzlies — left the big bear to waste.

So did the poacher who shot two wolves up near Glacier National Park. And the poacher who killed the big bull elk north of Columbia Falls. And the poacher who dropped the trophy bull moose down along the Jefferson.

Read the entire article . . .