Feeding of wildlife leading to increased bear conflicts in Red Lodge area

RED LODGE – Bear conflicts in the Red Lodge area are raising serious alarms for wildlife managers and resulting in FWP having to euthanize numerous bears.

“I’ve never seen bears behaving quite like this,” said Shawn Stewart, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife biologist who has worked in the area for more than five decades. “They’re bolder, breaking into vehicles and homes in broad daylight and approaching, following and even chasing people.”

The cause of this spike in alarming bear activity is almost exclusively linked to bears getting into human food, through unsecured attractants and, in some cases, FWP suspects some people are intentionally feeding bears. This activity is illegal in Montana. Montana state law prohibits the intentional feeding of game animals, including bears, and supplemental feeding through negligent actions involving bird feeders, garbage or other pet or human food attractants.

Bear conflicts in the Red Lodge area have increased the past three years, but nothing like wildlife managers are seeing this year. So far this year, FWP has euthanized six black bears in the area due to severe food conditioning and safety concerns for the public.

Feeding bears and many other wildlife species is not only illegal, but also creates abnormal behaviors in bears and safety risks for the public. The lethal removal of such bears is often the only course of action to keep humans and property safe. Placement in zoos is rarely an option as most zoos don’t have capacity for more bears, and if they did, they generally want young cubs.

Some black and grizzly bears in the Red Lodge area have become aggressive and bold around humans. FWP suspects intentional feeding is contributing to this abnormal behavior.

In the Rock Creek Valley, the river corridor, which goes through much of the area, is a natural pathway and habitat for bears. Both black and grizzly bears are common. It’s critical that residents secure attractants to avoid conflicts.

Anyone with possible information about intentional wildlife feeding is encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.govto provide details or contact FWP warden Matt Heaton at 406-860-7806 or mheaton@mt.gov. Those who report information may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

For more information on living in bear country, visit: fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware/living-bear-country