Staying ahead of human-bear conflict

Black bears and grizzly bears continue to expand across the state and many of these bears call the Swan Valley of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem “home”.

Recently in the Swan, an adult female grizzly bear was caught and collared for flipping dumpsters. The bear, identified in MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) records as #1180, was first captured in the summer of 2023 as a non-target bear and radio collared as part of an effort to determine if she had a history of conflict. The collar unfortunately malfunctioned shortly thereafter and FWP was unable to determine where she moved.

For the rest of the summer in 2023 and spring/summer in 2024, there were multiple reports from the same few locals that a radio-collared grizzly bear started to flip dumpsters at local businesses and was getting trash in some residential areas. 

They also reported that many people were discouraged by certain individual local residents and hesitant to call FWP due to being told that the bear specialists would euthanize the bear, which in this instance is untrue. 

#1180 was targeted and captured at the beginning of September in Condon, given a new, functioning radio-collar, and was moved to an area around the Hungry Horse Reservoir, where natural bear foods are still abundant.

Unfortunately, #1180 is just one bear that FWP was unaware of that escalated her behavior after becoming dependent on trash and flipping dumpsters at several other places. 

FWP has been notified that there have been many other similar situations like #1180 that have gone unreported. Reporting bear conflict when it occurs allows FWP to strategize how to handle the conflict and determine how to best prevent further conflicts based on each bear’s specific behavior. It also allows FWP to collectively implement larger preventative action plans to avert other bears from getting into conflict and help people by deterring any damage to buildings, structures, storage units, etc. 

It should be known that FWP’s goal with bear and lion management is to educate and create good relationships with the public, while managing conflicts and promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. However, when communities are discouraged from reporting a conflict, it not only decreases public tolerance, but it also lessens and limits the options for the bears.

A number of unnatural food sources, including trash, pet foods, grain, and livestock such as chickens, have become easily accessible to bears. This gives them the opportunity to become dependent on these problematic items, which can lead to human-wildlife conflicts. Many of these issues can be mitigated by learning how to properly store and protect these attractants. 

FWP, as well as Swan Valley Connections, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Defenders of Wildlife (among other organizations), can provide the assistance and resources needed to help decrease these human-wildlife conflicts.

If there is a conflict happening with a bear, whether minor or not, it is important to report any occurrences to FWP immediately so that the proper course of action may be taken to get ahead of the potential problem. Doing this helps keep people safe and bears wild.

Conflict can be avoided through a number of practices, some of which include:

- Rolling garbage bins out the morning of pickup. This includes placing garbage in bear-resistant cans. A common misunderstanding is that these cans are bear-proof, but they are only bear-resistant, which means a bear can still destroy the can over time. Bear-resistant trash cans are available for free from Swan Valley Connections.

- Taking the garbage to a waste facility whenever possible or storing the garbage in a secure enclosure, which can be an electric fence, shed, garage, or shop.

- Electrifying chicken coops, fruit trees, and storage areas with anything that might attract bears. FWP and Swan Valley Connections can provide temporary fencing and will happily work with landowners to plan and implement permanent fencing structures if needed.

Please report bear conflicts immediately to FWP. Addressing initial conflicts promptly can avoid bears from becoming food conditioned or habituated.

In the south portion of Flathead County (including all of Condon, Swan Lake, Ferndale, & Bigfork), contact Erik Wenum, 406-250-0062

For more information on living, working, and recreating in Montana’s bear country, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware. For resources available through Swan Valley Connections, head to www.swanvalleyconnections.org/swan-valley-bear-resources.