FWP sees increased bear activity

With the arrival of fall, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) staff are busy responding to bear conflicts and working with the public to prevent conflicts.

To date, FWP reports most of the reported conflicts in northwest Montana have involved bears getting into unsecured garbage and livestock feed, hanging around homes feeding on green grass and clover, and killing small livestock, such as chickens and pigs. FWP staff work with landowners on electric fencing, loaning out bear-resistant garbage containers, and securing attractants with the goal of preventing conflicts.

Mike Ebinger, wildlife biologist with FWP in Thompson Falls, said the department is beginning to see an uptick in bear related calls. In July, an adult female grizzly bear was captured by FWP in the Heron area after it was reported digging up residential property where small livestock carcasses were buried. The bear did not have a conflict history, was radio collared and was moved to a remote section of the Rice Draw/Deer Creek area on the Kootenai National Forest.

In fall, bears are increasingly active in preparation for winter denning. FWP has received numerous reports of bears feeding on domestic fruit on residential properties, as well as serviceberries, chokecherries, hawthorn, and huckleberries. Numerous bears have been reported in Whitefish feeding on fruit trees, and FWP staff encourage residences to pick up fruit. A Facebook page named Flathead Fruit Gleaning works to connect residents who want to pick up fruit with those who need fruit picked up.

Bears that gain rewards from human food sources can become food conditioned, which means they lose their natural foraging ability and pose an increased risk to human safety. Food rewards can also lead wildlife to become habituated to people, another increased risk to human safety. Both food conditioning and habituation often lead to euthanizing an animal for safety reasons.

Montana is bear country with populations of grizzly and black bears that frequent higher and lower elevations, especially river corridors. Preventing a conflict is easier than dealing with one.

• Bear spray is a highly effective, non-lethal bear deterrent. Carry EPA-approved bear spray and know how to use it.

• Never feed wildlife, especially bears. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose a threat to human safety. And it is illegal to feed bears in Montana.

• Know your bears. It is important to know the difference between grizzly bears and black bears, whether you are hunting or hiking. Learn more at mtfwp.maps.arcgis.com.

• Always keep a safe distance from wildlife. Never intentionally get close to a bear.

• Loud noise, such as banging pots and pans, using an air horn or your car alarm, or shouting, is a simple, effective short-term way to deter a bear on private property.

• A properly constructed electrified fence is both safe for people, livestock and pets, and has proven effective at deterring bears from human-related resources such as beehives, garbage or small livestock.

Conflicts should be reported to an FWP bear management specialist. For a list of specialists in your area, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/species/bear/contact.

Seeing a bear is not necessarily a reportable encounter or an emergency. Report encounters where the bear displayed aggressive or defensive behavior toward people, livestock or pets, or damaged property. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. For livestock conflicts, contact USDA Wildlife Services at aphis.usda.gov.