BIG SKY, Mont. — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) announced that its staff euthanized a sow grizzly bear following a reported encounter between the grizzly and a hunter on Saturday, Oct. 5.
According to FWP, the hunter was in the Gallatin Range backcountry south of Hidden Lakes (east of Big Sky) when he noticed a grizzly with two large cubs at close range. He climbed a tree to avoid the bear, but the bear reportedly charged at the hunter, inspiring the hunter to shoot the bear from the tree.
The hunter called 911 from his perch in the tree and reported his location. FWP staff responded with a helicopter, along with assistance from Gallatin County Search and Rescue and the Custer Gallatin National Forest. After landing, FWP staff “dispatched the injured bear” and located the uninjured hunter, the announcement said. Staff said they did not observe any bear cubs or cub tracks in the area after searching by ground and by air, and they confirmed that the slain bear was an adult female.
“This incident is still under investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,” FWP said in the announcement.
Hunter-grizzly conflicts have been prevalent this season. Another grizzly sow was killed in Montana in mid-September after a run-in with bowhunters. Similarly, an archery hunter shot and killed a male grizzly in Idaho’s Caribou-Targhee National Forest in early September.
All outdoor recreators should practice Bear Aware behaviors in grizzly country. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department stresses that hunters especially need to be on high alert for nearby bears, since they’re moving quietly through the landscape at hours of high bear activity. Learn more about staying safe in bear country here.
FWP recommends the following precautions for hunters specifically:
- Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
- Watch for and be extra cautious around bear sign, creeks and areas with limited visibility. Most attacks happen in surprise, close encounters.
- Hunt with a group of people. Make localized noise to alert bears to human presence.
- Be aware that elk calls and cover scents can attract bears.
- Bring the equipment and people needed to help field dress game and remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible.
- If it becomes necessary to leave part of the meat in the field during retrieval, hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.
- Upon returning, observe the meat with binoculars. Make noise while approaching the meat. If it has been disturbed or if a bear is in the area, leave and call FWP.
- Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
