Updates on Montana FWP black bear study presented at Bear Fair
A mother black bear and her cub forage for food. (Jeremy Weber/Bigfork Eagle file photo)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Black Bear Monitoring Biologist Colby Anton presented an ongoing statewide black bear population study during Swan Valley Resources’ Bear Fair at Swan River Community Hall on Saturday. The project aims to estimate the overall density and abundance of black bears across the state.
“As a biologist, one of the most common questions we get is just how many animals there are. It seems to be one of the most common and popular questions to ask us and oftentimes we don’t really have an answer for that question,” Anton said.
Building off a 2023 Blackfoot River drainage study, this year researchers are gathering data in bear management unit 103 west of Kalispell. They have placed 75 barbed wire hair corrals in the area, which six technicians monitor biweekly. The hair-collecting traps consist of a ring of barbed wire strung around tree trunks so that it hangs about 20 inches off the ground. In the center, a pile of wood soaked in fermented cow or pig blood lures the bears in. Above, a variable plastic jug of stinky stuff -- blueberry pie scent, smoky bacon scent, anise, or most-loved by bears, fermented fish.
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