Possible black bear reported near Malta, residents encouraged to be "bear aware."

MALTA- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks would like all folks to be “Bear Aware,” even in northeast Montana. Although bear encounters are rare in most of FWP Region 6, there are known black bears present in the Little Rockies and the Bears Paw Mountains, and more recently, some (likely) black bear sign and sightings have been reported near Malta. Black bears are occasionally found wandering far from their traditional areas, and preventative measures should always be taken to prevent wildlife encounters.

In the last month, especially since the first snowfall, a few folks have reported and taken photos of what appears to be black bear tracks at locations between Malta and Dodson.

Bears can literally be anywhere in Montana, and we need to be smart about living with or near them. This includes preventing situations that habituate bears, such as rummaging through garbage and exposure to other unnatural food attractants.

It is unlawful to intentionally, or to inadvertently, feed bears. When bears access garbage and other food sources, they can become food-conditioned and potentially be dangerous. Wildlife officials often have to euthanize food-conditioned bears in the interest of public safety, a situation that everyone wants to avoid. A much better option is to prevent bears from becoming habituated in the first place.

So far, the bear that has been reported near Malta has apparently had no negative human encounters, and we hope to keep it that way.

FWP reminds folks that live in areas where bears might be to always:

-Secure garbage inside a garage or secure shed

-Bring pet food in at night

-Clean up livestock food

-Bring in bird feeders, and clean up spilled seed

In addition, hunters and other recreationists are reminded to properly store game meat, food, livestock feed, garbage, and all other attractants in a bear-resistant manner. This also discourages other wildlife, such as raccoons and skunks, from causing problems with your belongings as well.

There are many resources available to hunters and recreationists on ways to prevent bears interactions, some of which can be found at:

https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware

-FWP-