Wildlife managers this month will begin seasonal scientific capture operations of grizzly bears in parts of Western Montana.  

The trapping is part of an ongoing interagency program to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.

Agencies involved are Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Park Service; the Blackfeet Tribe and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. 

From April through the end of October, biologists may be working in the Blackfoot Valley, along the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Swan and Clearwater River Valleys, within Glacier National Park, and in the North and Middle forks of the Flathead River. 

Warning signs will be posted along the major access points to the bait and trapping sites, and it is critical for people’s safety that they avoid traveling into posted areas, according to a news release from Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Monitoring of grizzly bear distribution and population trend is vital to ongoing recovery of grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. 

Potential trapping sites are baited with natural food sources, and snares or culvert traps are used to capture the bears. Once captured, the bears are sedated, studied, and released in accordance with strict protocols.