Two grizzlies captured, relocated from Mud Lake

Lake County Leader

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks captured two grizzlies recently.

But they were not the grizzlies that had killed two calves.

State authorities on April 2 investigated a report of a newborn calf that had been killed near Mud Lake, northeast of Bigfork. 

The landowner reported that he had lost another newborn calf several days earlier, but the remains of that calf could not be located. Based on the investigation it was a determined that a large grizzly bear killed and consumed the newborn calf. There were large grizzly bear tracks at the site.

Tim Manley, FWP grizzly bear management specialist, reports that a joint trapping effort by the FWP and Federal Wildlife Services resulted in the capture of two male grizzly bears — but they were not the bears that killed the calves. Based upon remote camera photos and track measurements, neither one of the captured bears were responsible for the calf killings. The first male captured was five years old and weighed 364 lbs. He was radio-collared and released in the Emery Creek drainage near Hungry Horse Reservoir. The second bear was about eight and weighed 456 lbs. He was also radio-collared and released in the South Fork of Lost Creek in the Swan.

Even though neither bear that was captured was involved with the cattle killings, the decision was made to move them a short distance out of the area in order to attempt to capture the target bear. After additional trap nights and checking remote cameras, there was no more activity at the trap site and the traps and cameras were removed on April 16, FWP spokesman John Fraley said. 

The landowner had put up electric fencing around the remaining cows and calves during the trapping operation and there have not been any additional attacks, Fraley said.   

While several grizzly bears have been out of their dens since the end of March, most of the grizzly bears and black bears will be emerging from their dens over the next couple of weeks, Fraley said. Residents living in bear country are reminded to put away and secure attractants to avoid attracting bears. Poultry, sheep, goats, pigs, bees, or young calves should be protected with a well built and maintained electric fence to prevent problems with bears or other wildlife, Fraley said.