FWP suspends effort to trap black bear that killed Kalispell woman; she'd been cited before for feeding bears

After nearly a month of trying, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials last week suspended the effort to try to catch a black bear that attacked a woman in her Kalispell home in late September. FWP wardens believe the bear entered 85-year-old Barbara Paschke’s home on or about Sept. 27 near Ashley Lake, attacked her and then escaped out a window. How the bear got into the house remains unsolved.

Paschke, who family members say suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, had been feeding bears and other creatures near her home. Paschke had previously been cited for feeding bears in 2012, FWP investigator Brian Sommers noted. In that incident, a sow and two cubs were caught bear home and had to be euthanized.

In this current case, FWP set a trap and through DNA analysis, were able to confirm that one of two female bears that were captured at Paschke’s home was a yearling sister to the bear that attacked her, but the second bear was not related. Both bears were euthanized.

FWP notes that is illegal to feed bears. Anyone with information on other people feeding bears in the area are urged to contact game warden Wes Oedekoven at 406-270-4220 or 1-800-TIPMONT.