Bear Hunt
Wildlife officials are trying to catch a cattle-killing sow grizzly bear believed to be responsible for several livestock deaths in the Benbow area since Aug. 14.
The first kill was reported Aug. 14 and as of Tuesday, Sept. 8, the count was up to eight, said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Biologist Shawn Stewart.
“We’re trying to rectify that but we haven’t had much luck so far,” said Stewart.
The sow is already fitted with a GPS radio collar because she was trapped east of Red Lodge in late July due to her suspected involvement of cattle predation there. The bear was relocated to the Gallatin River, south of Bozeman, and was caught in a research trap in the Gardiner area, released again and by Aug. 11 was in the Silver Lake area, said Stewart.
When the bear is caught again, it will mean euthanization.
“She will not be released,” said Stewart.
The attacks have taken place in the Benbow area and mainly at night. Two cattle have been killed on the Keller Ranch in the Fiddler Creek area. That amounts to about $4,000 in damage, said Terlene Keller. She added that the family has not had this kind of problems with a grizzly bear for well over 12 years.
Stewart confirmed that, saying the Yellowstone Ecosystem is saturated with grizzlies, which means they have spilled outward.
“There has been a rapidly increasing population of grizzlies on the Beartooth Face since 2011,” said Stewart, adding that there is not a single drainage in the Beartooths where grizzlies have not been documented.
That means Stillwater County is now bear country.
Stewart offers the following tips for keeping safe and keeping bears at bay:
•When hiking be aware of your surroundings and make noise to avoid surprise encounters.
•Don’t hike at dusk or dawn when bears tend to be the most active.
•Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
•Keep attractants put away, such as bird seed in feeders, horse feed, dog and cat food and barbecues.
Bears are hyperphagic this time of year as their main focus is to eat as much as possible in preparation of winter hibernation. Stewart said bears will be more visible this year seeking food because there was “extremely poor” chokecherry production and with the exception of the Boulder drainage, a poor white bark pine cone production.