Tag Archives: nuisance bears

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 . . .

North Fork grizzly killed after breaking into trailers

An adult female grizzly broke into three campers on private property south of Red Meadow Creek, July 28, 2016 - via Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
An adult female grizzly broke into three campers on private property south of Red Meadow Creek, July 28, 2016 – via Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

The day it was captured, I saw this bear eating serviceberries along the North Fork Road. Another unfortunate example of the fate of many bears that develop the habit of breaking into human structures in search of food. Darn it . . .

State wildlife managers killed a female grizzly bear after the animal broke into three camp trailers in the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage.

John Fraley, spokesperson for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said an adult female grizzly bear was captured July 29 on private property south of Red Meadow Creek. A bear had broken into three camp trailers, which were unoccupied at the time but where people had been living.

According to Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley, the bear was captured in a culvert trap that was set within two feet of one of the trailers. The trailers had been broken into on the evening of July 28. Once inside the trailers, the bear ate dog food along with food in the cupboards.

Read more . . .

Also read: Grizzly bear euthanized after breaking into trailers (Missoulian)

Nuisance Columbia Falls grizzly moved to North Fork

Grizzly bear release in Whale Creek drainage, April 11, 2016
Grizzly bear release in Whale Creek drainage, April 11, 2016

Yet another delinquent grizzly was moved to the North Fork earlier this month. The Hungry Horse News has the story. Also, check out the video . . .

A 3-year-old male grizzly bear was captured April 10 at a private residence along Tamarack Road northwest of Columbia Falls. The 211 pound bear was captured by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear and lion specialist Erik Wenum after the resident reported a bear had killed some of his young chickens.

The young bear was anesthetized, radio-collared, and released by grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley. The Interagency decision was made to release the bear back into the wild since it had no previous known conflicts. The grizzly bear was released on the afternoon of April 11 in the Whale Creek drainage of the North Fork of the Flathead, 34 straight line miles from where it was caught.

Read more . . .

See also: Video of the bear being released

Montana FWP: Grizzly bear management update for Northwest Montana

Cinca, May 5, 2015 by W K Walker

Here’s a news release by Tim Manley of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Region 1, summarizing recent grizzly bear activity. There’s some good stuff here . . .

Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley has prepared the following summary in response to questions on grizzly bear activities in FWP Region 1:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks grizzly bear management biologists and wardens have seen an increase in grizzly bear activity and conflicts during the month of September. Both black and grizzly bears are looking for food that will provide them with the layer of fat they need in order to survive the winter in their dens. Female grizzly bears with young are especially in need of additional food because they have been nursing their cubs and need the extra calories.

The following is an overview of the grizzly bear management activities that MT FWP has been involved with in the Tobacco, Flathead, and Swan Valley areas during the month of September.

Near Eureka, at least one young grizzly bear has been observed feeding on apples and walking through yards. Traps were set for that bear, but it hasn’t been captured yet.

West of Fortine, landowners buried a dead horse and noticed something had dug it up. They put up a trail camera and 3 different grizzly bears were photographed. One of the grizzly bears was wearing a radio collar that isn’t functioning properly. In an attempt to capture that bear and change the collar, two culvert traps were set. The horse was reburied and an electric fence was installed around the site along with remote cameras. On September 6th, an unmarked, young adult male grizzly bear visited the site and was captured. This male was radio-collared and translocated into the Whitefish Range. The radio-collared grizzly we were attempting to capture did not return to the trap site and the traps were pulled.

During that same week, a grizzly bear was breaking branches on fruit trees west of Lake Blaine. A temporary electric fence was installed and a culvert trap was set. The male grizzly bear returned, but was not captured. The electric fence was effective in preventing any additional damage to the trees and the trap was removed.

Right after Labor Day, an adult male grizzly bear was captured near Coram after killing chickens and eating apples. The 473 pound, 12 to 14 year old adult male grizzly had never been captured before. He was radio-collared and translocated to the Puzzle Creek drainage south of Marias Pass. The electric fence on that chicken coop has been upgraded to be more effective in deterring bears.

On the 9th of September, a large male grizzly broke into a chicken coop near Ferndale. Electric fencing was put up to protect the remaining chickens. A culvert trap was set. The male grizzly returned, it did not kill any more chickens, but it didn’t enter the culvert trap. Two days later, an unmarked, adult female grizzly with a cub of the year was captured. The cub was captured the next night and both bears were translocated to the Sullivan Creek drainage.

The trap was reset for the adult male, and the next night, a radio-collared female grizzly that has two cubs of the year was captured at the site. An attempt was made to capture both of the cubs, but was unsuccessful. To avoid separating the female and cubs, with the permission of the residents, the adult female was released onsite during the night of September 17th.

On September 16th, a photo was taken by a landowner of a female grizzly bear with 3 cubs of the year south of Ferndale. On the 17th, FWP bear managers contacted residents south of Ferndale about the family group. They have not caused any conflicts, but residents with fruit trees and poultry were advised to pick their fruit and make sure the electric fencing around their poultry was functioning properly.

In the North Fork of the Flathead, north of Polebridge, a female grizzly bear with a yearling killed some chickens and has gotten access to chicken feed and grain. Bear managers are working with local residents to secure attractants have installed electric fencing.

In the Swan Valley, a subadult female grizzly bear was hit and killed by a vehicle along the Swan Highway on September 12th, near the Condon Work Center. There had been reports of a grizzly bear feeding on road-killed deer just south of that area in previous weeks.

From mid-September until the grizzly bears den during November is typically a busy time for bear conflict specialists. Most of the berries have fallen off and the bears switch to other foods which sometimes brings them into areas with an abundance of fruit trees and other attractants.

While it seems like a lot of bears are causing conflicts, out of the estimated population of 1000 grizzly bears in northwest Montana, it is only 20 to 30 grizzly bears that are involved with conflicts throughout the whole area.

The best way to avoid conflicts with bears is through prevention. Take down your birdfeeders until bears have denned, don’t leave garbage, pet food, or grain outside. Use electric fencing to protect your poultry, beehives, and fruit trees. Pick your fruit as soon as it is ripe. Contact Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks if you have a bear conflict or need information or assistance on securing attractants. You can get more information at http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beBearAware/.

Grizzly activity spikes in Northwest Montana

It’s that time of year again when bears are packing in the calories in preparation of hibernation . . .

Wildlife managers are reporting an increase in grizzly bear activity and conflicts across Northwest Montana as the winter denning season approaches.

Between 20 and 30 grizzlies were involved in conflicts throughout the region in recent weeks, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Northwest Montana has the largest population of grizzlies in the continental U.S. with over 1,000.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson John Fraley said activity tends to pick up in autumn as both black and grizzly bears search for larger amounts of food in order to survive the winter in their dens. Female grizzly bears with young are especially in need of additional food as they nurse their cubs and need the extra calories.

Read more . . .

Also read: Food-Conditioned Black Bear Removed From the Population To Ensure Public Safety (Glacier National Park)

Young ‘conflict bears’ not always chronic offenders

Young nuisance bears aren’t especially likely to re-offend after relocation . . .

Yearling grizzly bears busted for getting into trouble and relocated are not any more likely to offend again than bears with a clean rap sheet.

“If a bear gets in trouble, it doesn’t mean it’s a chronic offender,” said Mark Haroldson, who conducted a study for the U.S. Geological Survey in Bozeman.

Although the research is still preliminary, Haroldson said the data came partly from information collected in the late 1970s and 1980s as bear managers sought to reverse the decline in grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by separating young bears from conflict mothers. The thought was that the mothers might be teaching the yearlings bad behavior.

Read more . . .

Picnick-raiding black bear killed by park rangers

Here is this year’s “a fed bear is a dead bear” story. Glacier Park had to kill a food-conditioned black bear in the Two Medicine area of the park . . .

Glacier National Park Rangers euthanized a black bear from the Two Medicine area on Friday, July 18, after several reports in which the bear exhibited apparent food-conditioned behavior, including an incident in which the bear charged a picnicking family.

On Thursday, July 17, the black bear approached a family that was eating at a picnic table at the Two Medicine Picnic Area. The family yelled and clapped hands, but the bear charged towards the table, and the family retreated to their vehicle. The bear consumed the food and left the area after a park ranger repeatedly hazed the bear with rubber bullets and bean bags.

This same black bear was observed digging in a fire pit in the area, and did not seem bothered by human presence. There were several sightings of the bear on and near to the park trail system along the shore of Two Medicine Lake. The bear was determined to be a food-conditioned bear, and a threat to human safety. Trail and picnic area closures were implemented in Two Medicine.

The bear was euthanized. This action is consistent with Glacier National Park’s Bear Management Plan. The male bear was approximately five years old and weighed approximately 225 pounds.

Read more . . .

Grizzly relocated from Blackfeet Reservation to North Fork

As mentioned at the recent Inter Local meeting, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel helped relocate a nuisance grizzly to the Whale Creek drainage . . .

A grizzly bear captured on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation after it killed a calf was relocated to the Whale Creek drainage of the North Fork Flathead River.

On July 16, Blackfeet tribal biologists captured the 220-pound, 2-to-3 year-old-male grizzly bear at the site of a calf kill near the Montana and Alberta border.

Read more . . .

Grizzly bear relocated to North Fork

Montana FWP captured a nuisance grizzly bear near Meadow Lake Golf Course and relocated it to the upper Whale Creek drainage last Wednesday . . .

State wildlife officials caught a 4-year old male grizzly bear earlier this week near the Meadow Lake Golf Course near Columbia Falls.

Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley said that the bear had been reported eating apples in residential areas over the past week.

Continue reading . . .