According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the mushroom hunters involved in a recent bear encounter were not injured. However, the female grizzly (a sow) was shot and killed during the incident. She was known to have one cub, which authorities are still working to locate. This is an important reminder: Grizzly bears are becoming more widespread and numerous across Montana, increasing the chances of surprise encounters with residents, outdoor workers, and recreationists. Avoiding a bear conflict is far easier—and safer—than dealing with one. Here are essential precautions to reduce the risk of a negative encounter: --Carry bear spray and know how to use it at a moment’s notice. --Travel in groups and make noise to alert bears to your presence. --Stay away from animal carcasses, which are common bear attractants. --Follow food storage rules. --Never approach a bear. Leave the area calmly and only when safe. --Secure all attractants such as garbage, bird feeders, and pet food. Use certified bear-resistant containers where available. --Never feed wildlife. Bears that associate people with food can become dangerous and must often be euthanized. Feeding bears is illegal in Montana. Help keep bears wild—and Montanans safe—by staying alert and doing your part to prevent conflict. (fb)

Let’s Be Smarter Than the Bear. Last week was a sad one for grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Two yearling bears were killed by a larger male in Grand Teton—tragic, but part of nature’s design. But the loss of another grizzly in Yellowstone? That was on us. This adult bear didn’t die from natural causes. It was euthanized after learning to flip bear-resistant dumpsters, ripping them from concrete footings just to get a taste of human garbage. Once a bear becomes conditioned to human food, it’s not just one bear at risk. It teaches that behavior. It spreads. And more bears die. “Bears have a culture,” says longtime grizzly expert Chris Servheen. “They transmit information from generation to generation.” And when what gets passed down is how to get food from humans, the end result is conflict, danger, and death—for bears and for people. Yellowstone has one of the best bear-human management systems in the world. But even the best system can’t prevent a determined bear from being rewarded by careless human behavior. That’s where we come in. If you live, hike, camp, or picnic in bear country: Lock up your trash. Never leave food unattended. Clean up after yourself. Use bear-proof containers—correctly. These aren’t small things. They are the difference between life and death for wild bears. Bears are smart. Let’s be smarter. (fb)