In the pantheon of “Montana Tough,” there are rugged mountain men, seasoned park rangers, and then there’s Marguerite McDonald.
A Boone and Crockett article tells a story from back in 1964. While most of the country was humming along to the Beatles, Marguerite was busy defending her porch from an 850-pound grizzly bear with nothing but a rifle and a level of sass that would make a modern survivalist weep.
The Ultimate Social Distancing: Silver Tip Ranch
If you think your commute is rough, try the trek to Silver Tip Ranch. Located in the high-elevation wilds where the Wyoming border bleeds into Montana, this place isn’t just “remote”—it’s a twelve-mile hike or horseback ride through the kind of terrain that hasn’t changed since the Pleistocene.
Historically, the neighborhood was… let’s say, unwelcoming. The original homesteader, G. Milton Ames, offed eight bears in his first spring. A few years later, a trapper named “Frenchy” Duret was famously mauled to death nearby; his rifle was later found chewed into a metal pretzel.
This was the backyard Marguerite and her husband, Jack, called home as year-round caretakers.
Don’t Mess with a Woman’s Bacon
The trouble started with a classic rookie mistake: porch bacon. While Jack was down in Gardiner for supplies—a trip that took days—Marguerite was flying solo with the dogs. One night, a massive grizzly decided to skip the foraging and go straight for the deli aisle, swiping a slab of bacon stored in a screened box on the porch.
Marguerite knew the golden rule of bears: once they get a taste of the good stuff, they always come back for seconds. She hopped on the horn to Jack, who gave her a quick over-the-phone tutorial on how to load their Model 70 Winchester .30-06.
Two Doors, One Bullet, No Fluffs Given
What happened next depends on who you ask, but every version of the story ends with Marguerite being the last one standing.
- The “Outdoor Life” Version: Marguerite retreated to a secondary cabin. When the bear returned and charged, she dropped it with a single chest shot. It reportedly brushed past her—mere inches away—before collapsing in the brush.
- The Game Warden’s Version: This one’s the crowd-pleaser. According to local legend, Marguerite tried to scare the “bruin” by banging on a washtub. The bear, unimpressed by her percussion skills, smashed through the front door. When it broke through the second door, Marguerite decided she’d had enough property damage and fired.
“I tell you, she was a tough woman,” said retired game warden Vern Waples. “She could’ve wrestled that bear if she hadn’t had a rifle.”
“I Know There’s a Bear in the House, You Goddamn Fool!”
The best part of the saga? The aftermath. When Jack finally returned two days later with a wagon full of groceries, he walked into the cabin and literally tripped over the 850-pound carcass still lying in the doorway.
Naturally, Jack panicked, screaming that a bear was in the house. Marguerite, likely sipping coffee and wondering why the groceries weren’t unloaded yet, famously replied:
“I know there’s a bear in the house… Who do you suppose shot him?”
By the Numbers: A Record-Breaking Encounter
While the quotes might be seasoned with a bit of Montana storytelling, the physical evidence doesn’t lie.
- Weight: Estimated 850 lbs.
- Skull Score: 24-3/16 points.
- Legacy: It remains the 5th largest grizzly ever recorded in Montana.
The Aftermath
In 1975, grizzlies were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, making Marguerite’s encounter a relic of a wilder, less regulated era. The McDonalds eventually traded the solitude of the Silver Tip for the town of Pryor, where Marguerite spent her later years as a school cook.
She passed away in 1989 at the age of 75—leaving behind three children, nine grandkids, and one of the greatest “don’t mess with me” stories in Big Sky history.
Trophy Recap:
- Hunter: Marguerite McDonald
- Weapon: Winchester .30-06
- Location: Gardiner, MT (Silver Tip Ranch)
- Date: 1964
- Moral of the Story: Keep your bacon inside, and never underestimate a Montana woman with a loaded rifle.
Photo and information via Boone and Crockett website