https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/ne...counter-near-dupuyer



Grizzly bear killed in encounter near Dupuyer

Apr 14, 2025 3:57 PM

GREAT FALLS – Like many Montanans do this time of year, a man was shed hunting in north-central Montana near Dupuyer on Friday. The man was searching for antlers on a brushy hillside when he first saw a bear. As he was leaving the area, the bear charged him at close range. He shot and killed the bear. Fortunately, the man was uninjured.

The bear was an adult female in good condition with no history of conflict, and was estimated to be 13 years old and weighing about 250 pounds.

Be bear aware

Montana is bear country. 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.

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
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.
Though they have reached recovery levels in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems, grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working closely in Montana with FWP, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, Wildlife Services, and Native American tribes. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.

Incident Note: The sow had a single yearling cub that was found on site, unharmed. No management action will be taken for the yearling.

Huh? No where in the 'precautions' is it mentioned to carry a firearm if going into bear 'country'. Weird.

You just beat to to it Kathi.

I waited to long hoping for more information.

Ann all are wildlife agencies have fallen for guns are bad, spray is best.

Mainly the have become anti-hunting organizations. Love to push the pro bear, anti human, anti gun agenda.

We are working our sources to hopefully find out what firearm and caliber.

But that information is sometimes slow to come out

I know, I was being sarcastic. If people really want to be safe to go in the back country they should not only consider spray but also be armed with a firearm and also be proficient with at. Also be alert which looks like this guy was. Good for him.

Sad that those promoting safety won't do it right. Few people will survive a charging bear if it gets a hold of them. As you know, I am not pro predator, I am pro safety.

Question- Regarding bear recovery numbers- Does anyone know how many times the goal posts have been moved since listing?

quote:

Originally posted by crane:
Question- Regarding bear recovery numbers- Does anyone know how many times the goal posts have been moved since listing?

Too many! They do it with wolves too.