In the early morning hours on June 11, a grizzly bear was threatening a landowner near his residence on the northeast side of the Bears Paw Mountains. The landowner shot and killed the bear and fortunately, the man was uninjured in the encounter. This is the first lethal removal by a landowner in this area.

The man heard a disturbance with his dogs and when he opened the door to his porch, he encountered the bear and shot it.

Though grizzly bears aren’t common in the Bears Paw Mountains, sightings have increased during the past few years. If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call your local Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear specialist. You can locate their contact information here - fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/contact

Be?bear?aware

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?fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.