BIG SKY –Bear specialists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have concluded a field investigation into a grizzly bear encounter that injured a man south of Big Sky last week. The attack happened Friday, Sept. 8, in the Yellow Mule area of the Madison Range. During the encounter, one of the victim’s companions fired a pistol at the bear before the bear left. The victim suffered serious injuries from the bear and was flown to a hospital. FWP staff flew over the area Saturday to look for a bear that may have been wounded. No bears were found during the aerial search, and no collared bears were nearby. The Custer Gallatin National Forest implemented an for public safety following the incident and ensured that recreationists there were able to leave safely. The closure remains in effect. FWP grizzly bear specialists and game wardens, as well deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, revisited the attack site Tuesday. They searched the area near the attack site from the ground and with an infrared drone and didn’t locate a dead or wounded bear. However, they found signs of high bear activity, including the remains of a cached animal carcass, whitebark pine middens and bear scat. This evidence indicates the bear attacked defensively in a surprise, close encounter with the victim. No further management action is planned. Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year. This time of year is when bears are active for longer periods as they consume more food in preparation for hibernation. This period overlaps with hunting season and other fall recreation activities. Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with such conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters: People who hunt in places that have or may have grizzly bears—which includes areas of Montana west of Billings—should take special precautions: Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working closely in Montana with FWP, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, Wildlife Services, and Native
American tribes. This collaboration happens through the . For more information, resources and education events on bear safety, visit .