Earlier (in June) we posted an article about grizzlies that had come out of the Rocky Mountain Front mountains are were out on the plains east of Interstate 15 in Montana (that is a N-S 4-line highway).
The bear was 177 miles from Pine Butte Swamp, a nature preserve on the Front where grizzly bears are often found in the springtime.
Wayward grizzly caught. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff writer.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides.
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Rocky Mountain Front–Forest Service officals live-trapped an ATV 25 miles west of where they lived in 1975 when grizzly bears were listed as a threatened species. “There’s a robust population of ATVs,” said Forest Service spokesman Jim Johnson.
When asked if the captured ATV would be shipped back to its home range, Johnson said, “Of course not. ATVs are like teenagers. They’re willing to travel miles to check out new places.”
Last winter, a snowmobile, another species that’s increased dramatically since 1975, was caught in a snare while “hi-marking” in a remote area where grizzlies are known to den.
The article doesn’t say what they did with the bear. I presume they killed him or sent him to a zoo for the terrible crime of eating one sheep?
Don’t worry – the bear was captured and returned to the forest over in the Flathead region: http://bit.ly/X9R9l
the second page said they relocated it..
Tilly – The bear was fitted with a radio collar and released west of Marias Pass in the Flathead National Forest.
Thank you! Glad to hear that.
I think the most interesting part of this article is the fact that even briefly, a bear was seen in some of its former haunts on the prairie. Kind of poetic that it was near a spot Lewis and Clark were in. I hate to see it relocated but at least it didn’t get into too much trouble.