Montana residents around Glacier National Park and the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front are accustomed to populate with hoary bear in their backyard , but seeing them traveling across a pale yellow field dozens of miles east of the mountains has recently raised a few eyebrows .
It appears that grizzlies are move back onto their historic mountain chain for the first time in over a century . Duane Buchi , ranger at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls , Mont. , says the Lewis and Clark expedition ran into grizzlies as far east as the Montana / North Dakota border , indicating they are habitual to these broad - open spaces .
“ They had quite a time with the bears , ” read Buchi , who also notes that of the 32 grizzlies the expedition members pour down along the journey , 28 were in Montana . Now it appear the bears are once again making their marker on the prairies of Big Sky Country .
“ But in the past two to three eld , we have seen the universe dilate far and more often , ” read Mike Madel , grizzly bear direction medical specialist for Montana Fish , Wildlife and Parks . They have now been pick out as far away as 35 miles from the eastern slopes of the Rockies . “ The distaff grownup grizzlies are teaching their offspring to use prairie habitat , ” Madel says . “ It ’s a biological fact . ”
While it ’s a herald of success for the bear , it can stimulate problem with sodbuster and rancher who are n’t used to carry on with these clever , opportunistic omnivores . This can — and often does — make an evenly bad site for the bears .
“ Grizzly bears are not effective carnivore , ” says Madel , yet occasionally they will have to cover with a bear that figures out that sheep , or other stock , can be wanton prey .
In May 2016 , a 6 - class - old female grizzly bear was shot by federal official after killing 40 sheep during one weekend at a ranch near Valier , Mont. This was n’t her first criminal offence . She and her two laddie had already been relocated to the North Fork on the Flathead River drain on the west side of mountains the late July after killing livestock .
“ This female person traveled about 258 land mile , in a circuitous itinerary , in about three calendar month , ” Madel says . Her traveling included a speculation into Canada before returning to the same area where she denned up last crepuscle . fortuitously , the yearling cubs were no longer with her when she preyed upon the sheep this outpouring .
Although depredation is a reality , bears often prefer sluttish taking . “ We have bears that are feeding on grain , ” Madel says . “ They ’re shaking [ the silo ] door to make the grain fall out . ” He also mention that with the bears moving onto farms , the empty bowl of computerized tomography food in the morning might not have gone to the resident b cats , causing a potentially severe job of a food - stipulate grizzly that might become bolder around place .
For farmers and ranchers who are concerned with protecting their place and stock , Madel read there are a deal of tool on the table , include highly effective electric fencing , Karelian bear dogs or acoustic impediment , such as cracker rounds pullulate from a 12 - gauge shotgun , propane - operated scare guns or even line horns . Itispossible to keep the homestead safe , he says .
family who have lived with silver-tip for decades recognize co - existence is come-at-able through consciousness and using proactive measure to ensure bears and people last out out of trouble .
This article in the beginning appeared in the November / December 2016 issue ofHobby Farms .
