Glacier Park griz that wandered to Trap Road meat plant caught

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks captured an adult female grizzly bear and her female cub over the weekend of Oct. 1-2 west of Highway 206 on Trap Road.

The bears had been reported during the previous two weeks along the base of the Swan Range and near the highway, feeding on apples. A trap was set at the base of the mountains for the bear and her cub on Sept. 31. Another trap was set west of Highway 206 off of Trap Road, where an adult male grizzly had been feeding on meat scraps at a local meat processing facility.

The female and cub ended up crossing the highway, and the cub was captured at Trap Road. Additional traps were moved to that location, and the adult female was captured on Saturday night.

The bears had been accessing meat scraps behind a local meat processing facility when they were captured. FWP has put up a temporary electric fence around the attractant to keep the bears out, which has proven effective. No bears have gotten through the fence.

The adult female grizzly was in excellent condition and weighed 419 pounds, according to Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley. The cub was also in excellent shape and weighed 144 pounds.

The adult female is 15 years old. She was originally captured in Glacier National Park in 2007 near Granite Park as part of the population trend monitoring program. Radio collar data indicated that most of her time was spent in the interior of Glacier Park and she would travel to Teakettle Mountain, south of Columbia Falls, during berry season. She denned in Glacier Park in 2007 and 2008.

Knowing that part of her home range was in the Park, FWP worked with Glacier National Park and released the grizzly inside the park near Anaconda Creek off the Inside Road. The latest GPS radio collar locations indicate that she has moved farther north into the interior of the park.

The public is reminded that autumn is the time of year that bears are trying to put on enough fat to survive through the winter denning period.

Montana FWP has received and responded to reports of grizzly bears in the areas of Eurka, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Coram, and Ferndale.

Residents are reminded to secure attractants such as garbage, pet food, and bird seed, Additionally, fruit should be picked or fruit trees protected. Livestock and poultry should also be protected with electric fencing.

It is illegal in Montana to feed bears and ungulates. This includes putting out grain and deer blocks.

For more information on electric fencing and living in bear country visit the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website: http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beBearAware/default.html