BOZEMAN, Mont. — A grizzly bear was shot and killed by a pair of anglers in Montana’s Tom Miner Basin, marking the second Montana grizzly to be killed in self-defense in the span of one week.
According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department (FWP), the anglers were hiking through dense vegetation on private land along Tim Miner Creek on Wednesday, Aug. 30, when they were charged by a grizzly bear. One of the anglers shot and killed the bear. No human was injured.
The bear was an adult male grizzly. FWP said the bear’s behavior was “likely defensive” in the surprise encounter. The incident remains under investigation.
While exact location details were not shared by FWP, Tom Miner Creek is located within Paradise Valley in south-central Montana, close to the northern border of Yellowstone National Park.
A similar incident took place a few days earlier. On Saturday, Aug. 26, a pair of hunters killed a grizzly bear in self-defense in northern Montana’s Whitefish Range. The hunters were scouting in a densely wooded part of Flathead National Forest when they suddenly found themselves within 15 feet of a female grizzly with a cub. The adult female grizzly charged the hunters, who shot and killed her. During the incident, one of the men was shot in the shoulder and was taken to the hospital to be treated.
“Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year,” FWP said in a press release. “This time of year is when bears are active for longer periods as they consume more food in preparation for hibernation. This period overlaps with hunting season and other fall recreation activities.”
FWP recommends taking the following precautions when recreating in bear territory:
- Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
- Make noise to alert bears to your presence and travel in groups.
- 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.
