Events will provide area bear updates and tips on preventing conflicts

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a series of grizzly bear educational programs in central Montana in March, addressing the biology and status of bears in the area, along with focused discussions of how to prevent conflicts on the farm and ranch, at home, and when recreating outdoors. Bear management specialists will also provide updates on bear activity in the local areas where the meetings are held.

“It’s important to provide FWP resources to people in bear country, including things like information about local bear activity, how to prevent conflicts near homes, livestock, and communities, and how FWP responds to prevent or address human-bear conflicts”, said David Kemp, grizzly bear management specialist with FWP.

Montana is bear country, with populations of grizzly and black bears that frequent higher and lower elevations, and especially river corridors. FWP has confirmed the presence of grizzly bears in central Montana in the Snowy, Moccasin, and Little Belt Mountain ranges and adjacent Judith River over recent years. Grizzly bears have also been confirmed in the Missouri Breaks.

Dates and locations:

• Lewistown, Yogo Inn, Monday Mar. 17, 6-8 p.m.
• Fort Benton, Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center, Thursday Mar. 20, 6-8 p.m.
• Neihart, Monarch-Neihart Community Center, Monday Mar. 24, 6-8 p.m. This event will also include a presentation from Sarah Zielke, FWP wolf-carnivore management specialist, on wolves and wolf activity in the Monarch-Neihart area, as well as how to prevent conflicts with wolves.

The programs are free and open to the public.

For more information on living, working, and recreating in Montana’s bear country, visit the FWP Bear Aware website at fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware.

For more information about these events, contact David Kemp at 406-450-1097.