What is Closed? Why? How Long?
Our latest Montana camping report has released that the Russell Gates campground is now temporarily closed due to intensified black bear activity. It will remain closed until the black bear is successfully removed.
What is Open?
The boat launch and day use will still be open to recreationists.
Is is safe?
There has be no reported injuries or attacks from the bear, it is merely interested in campers food.
Bear Awareness for Camping:
Fish Wildlife and Parks encourages ‘Bear Awareness’ to hopefully prevent any situation of this sort to happen again. Here are some tips on how to prevent a Bear encounter while camping:
- your campsite should be clean at all times
- don’t have smelly items inside your tents, especially snacks (not even gum!)
- avoid cooking smelly foods
- hang food, trash and other smelly items away from your campsite and at least 10 feet off of the ground and 4 feet from any vertical support (bear proof containers are quite handy for this)
- your vehicle is not a good place to store food, and will most likely be totaled if a bear gets into it.
- treat your livestock or pet food the same as human food
- do not sleep in the same clothes that you cooked or ate in, yes the bear’s sense of smell is that good
What items are considered ‘smelly’?
toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, fishing tackle, bait, etc.
Always remember the saying ‘A fed bear is a dead bear’ because once a bear gets into contact with human food, they start to do unbearlike behavior and keep returning. If they keep returning they are then a ‘problem bear’ which most often then not leads to the death of a bear through relocation or dependency on human food.
