May 5, 1999 Missoulian Article: Pack of grizzlies removed after killing livestock By SHERRY DEVLIN
A fourth grizzly likely remains in the area, and possibly a black bear, said Bill Thomas, information officer for the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks in Missoula. "It is a little unique to see such a herd [gaggle??] of grizzly bears," Thomas said Tuesday. "All of the Blackfoot drainage is excellent grizzly habitat but that's still a lot of bears in one area." The relocations were "preemptive," according to Thomas. "We know that the calf kills were by a bear, but we don't know which bear or whether it was a black bear or a grizzly.
Livestock losses began in early April, when two calves were killed and federal Wildlife Services officers set snares for a bear. After 10 days without catching a bear, the snares were removed. The next day, another calf was killed.
State game wardens captured and released a large black bear, and federal officers set snares for four grizzlies seen in the area. On Saturday, a 250 pound female and 110 pound cub yearling female cub were darted with a tranquilizer gun and captured. Snares were set for the second cub.
On Sunday a 400 pound male grizzly was snared.
The boar, which was missing its right eye from an old injury, was taken to the Firefighter Mountain area near Hungry Horse Reservoir and released on Tuesday.
Trapping efforts continued through Monday for the second cub, but were not successful. The captured sow and cub were taken to the nearby Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife. Management Area and released late Monday night.
"This is an old female, and she has probably lived in the general area for years without getting in trouble in the past," said FWP regional supervisor Mack Long. "If this is the case, we hope she and her offspring will continue to stay out of trouble."
"They are two beautiful animals," said Thomas. "We drugged the female and put a radio collar on her. Then we backed up the cub to her and opened the gate. It sniffed and bawled a little, then laid right down next to the mother."
The Blackfoot game range already is home to two grizzlies, a sow and cub, Thomas said. The area is northeast of Clearwater Junction, about 30 miles from Missoula.
Thomas said the sow may be able to find the second cub, if it is still in the area and still alive. "It is so hard to know because these animals are so secretive," he said. "But we do suspect there is another yearling cub and that it's still around."
Wildlife officials have warned that grizzly and black bears may be more visible in low-lying areas this spring, as they entered hibernation low on fat reserves because of last summer's poor berry crop. "Northwest Montana had a tremendous number of both grizzlies and black bears get into trouble last fall, and we ended up with hundreds of bears in trouble in southwest Montana," Thomas said. "But ours were mostly black bears."
All three of the grizzlies relocated this week were in good condition, according to Thomas. FWP wardens put the road-kill carcasses of two elk and a deer near the release site on the Blackfoot-Clearwater game range, hoping to keep the bears close by and content.
Long reminded all who live in bear country to keep garbage and pet food inside, and not to put food scraps in compost piles. Take down bird feeders, too, he said, as bears