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Two grizzly bears frequenting Whitefish neighborhoods relocated

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 11 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | August 12, 2016 12:04 PM

Two grizzly bears that had been wandering in town and south of Whitefish earlier this week were relocated near the Canadian border on Thursday.

One grizzly was hanging around a cherry tree on Dakota Avenue and the second was getting into garbage near Blanchard Lake. Neither grizzly had previously required management actions, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Both were relocated to near Frozen Lake.

A young grizzly began frequenting the Dakota Avenue neighborhood Tuesday and was spotted several more times near the Wildwood Condos and the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The bear was spotted in and near a cherry tree.

Tim Manley, FWP’s grizzly bear management specialist, set a trap in the late morning near the cherry tree and the bear was captured about noon the next day.

It was an unmarked, 2-year-old male that weighed 158 pounds, according to Manley. The bear was released on Thursday.

The second grizzly bear had gotten into dog food and garbage in the Blanchard Lake area. The bear was captured south of the lake in the early morning on Wednesday and later released.

It is an unmarked, 4-year-old male, weighing 245 pounds, according to Manley.

Both bears were fitted with GPS satellite collars before being released near Frozen Lake on the Montana and British Columbia border.

Manley said some grizzly bears are staying in the valley bottom to feed on serviceberry and hawthorn berries. Fruit trees also have apples, plums, and pears that are ripening up right now. Residents should pick their fruit as soon as possible and also make sure other attractants such as garbage, pet food and bird feeders are not available, according to FWP.

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