A ranch about five miles west of Dupuyer near the Rocky Mountain Front lost 10 calves last week to grizzly bears.

The cattle were located in a creek bottom with thick willow cover. Specialists from U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, working in coordination with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ bear specialist, confirmed a grizzly was the cause of the depredation and at least 12 grizzly bears were in the area, including sows with cubs.

This depredation event near Dupuyer presents a unique challenge for the landowner and bear specialists alike because the high density of bears could result in more depredations, FWP noted. Additionally, there is uncertainty as to which bear, or bears, killed the cattle, and it is an extremely difficult and dangerous circumstance for specialists to try and capture individual bears. The cattle that were in the creek bottom have been moved to a different pasture to allow for better protection. The livestock owner will be eligible for compensation from the livestock loss fund.

While options are limited in this particular circumstance, FWP and Wildlife Services can often identify and provide assistance to proactively protect livestock and to help reduce other kinds of bear conflict.

In general, bears are very active this time of year across Montana as they try to put on weight prior to hibernation. This can put bears in conflict with people and livestock.

This week, up and down the Rocky Mountain Front and areas east where creek bottoms provide the bears easy travel corridors to the prairie, bears are making their presence known. FWP bear specialists have responded to citizen complaints of bears eating apples around Choteau, Valier and residences east of Highway 287. Wildlife Services and FWP specialists have responded to bears killing livestock in several locations around central and southwest Montana this summer, including Madison, Carbon, Teton, Glacier, Pondera, and Lewis and Clark counties.

“Given the number of bears and their increased level of activity, it’s really important that people and communities in bear country secure their attractants,” said Gary Bertellotti, FWP’s Region 4 supervisor.