July 30, 1998 Missoulian article tells about Rangers dispatch [killing] 3 bears. written by Michael Jamison of the Missoulian.
The mother and two cubs caught rangers' attention at about 6 a.m. Monday, when they broke into a bunkhouse at Goat Haunt, located on the boundary of Glacier and Waterton Lakes national parks.
By the time they were noticed, park officials said, the three bears had raided several cupboards.
The bears later moved to nearby cabins, keeping the ranger busy trying to keep them from any other kitchens.
At about 2 p.m., however, the adult female smashed through the bathroom window of an apartment and began work to open the refrigerator. The ranger followed her in, finally driving her out the front door.
No one else was home at the time.
The area was sealed off from tourists, and by late Monday two more rangers arrived by boat, bringing culvert traps and tranquilizing equipment. The female was darted at about 4 p.m., and the cubs were captured soon after. All three were killed Tuesday morning.
According to park officials, the family had previously caused problems in Waterton, where they stole food from a boat and tried to climb a food-cache pole.
Chief Ranger Steve Frye said it has been several years since a bear has successfully broken into a park building, primarily because of visitor-education programs stressing the importance of keeping food from bears.
"This serves as a reminder of how quickly bears can become locked into unnatural food sources," Frye said.
He urged visitors to keep all food locked safely away from bears, saying a clean camp policy was crucial to protecting bears and humans alike. Michael Jamison Missoulian