Big Sky Times

A male grizzly bear was euthanized after it was confirmed that it was murdering cattle on the Rocky Mountain Front north of Choteau. 

Prior to execution, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture had been given permission by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The public is advised to contact their local bear specialist at the number listed on the FWP website.

"Grizzly bears are a federally protected species and conflict response is primarily conducted by state wildlife agencies, tribes and USDA Wildlife Services under the authority of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service," FWP stated.

According to an FWP press release, officials captured and installed a tracking collar on the bear in 2021 due to depredation. Since then, the bear, which weighed 386 pounds and was 4 years old, avoided trapping efforts for a year after killing a calf and a sheep. Later in 2021, trail camera and collar data revealed that the bear had visited two further livestock conflict locations (one calf and one sheep), but it eluded capture attempts at the time, according to Montana Right Now.

The bear's most recent killings occurred on Sept. 5 when it killed another sheep. When landowners reported that another sheep had been murdered, FWP and Wildlife Services specialists arrived and verified that the sheep had been attacked by a bear. The bear's collar data proved it was present at the death site during the encounter, and after receiving USFWS permission to lethally remove the bear, the male bear was put to sleep permanently. 

The bear's hide and head were preserved and will be repurposed for educational purposes. The Endangered Species Act protects grizzly bears, and the USFWS has final control over management activities.