Two grizzlies killed in SW Montana following livestock conflicts

Grizzly bear photographed in Yellowstone National Park on May 19, 2020. (Photo by Jim Peaco/National Park Service)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services killed two grizzly bears on Aug. 21 in southwestern Montana that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says had killed several livestock.

One bear was killed in the Gravelly Mountains in Madison County after it killed several sheep. FWP said the livestock owner had used guard dogs, moved the sheep to different areas and hazed the bear before Wildlife Services, FWP, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to kill the bear.

The second bear was killed in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston. It had killed several cattle in what FWP says was a rash of “chronic” depredations. The agency said the private landowner had moved their cattle twice but conflicts with the bear continued.

“Promptly reporting bear conflicts can make a difference for the health of the bear and the safety of communities,” FWP spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen said in a statement. “Some corrective management efforts, when applied early, can be effective in discouraging bears from being close to humans and livestock and reduce future conflicts.”

People can learn more about living in bear country and report bear conflicts by visiting FWP’s website.