It’s that time of year again. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks released their spring bear report to various media outlets Friday, encouraging people to get ready for hungry bears emerging from hibernation . . .
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear managers meet every year in mid-March to prepare for the state’s bears to emerge from hibernation. About the same time, male grizzly bears are already stirring and that is why April 1st is the target date FWP bear managers recommend for bringing in winter bird feeders and seed, cleaning yards and collecting and disposing of bear attractants that have accumulated over winter.
NORTHWESTERN MONTANA
Tim Manley, FWP Region 1 grizzly bear specialist, said it is especially important for residents to clean up around their homes early in April. In recent years, deep mountain snowpack and heavy spring snowfall have pushed bears into the valley bottoms earlier in the season and for longer than usual.“On the east side of the Flathead Valley during 2010, we had 18 grizzly bears we knew spent much of April and the first half of May in the valley . . .”