Chester Evitt was sitting in his recliner watching a Jennifer Lopez action movie on July 16 when a 500-pound grizzly bear knocked open his front door. Evitt owns a gun shop in Gardiner and didn’t hesitate to grab a nearby Colt 1911 pistol he keeps handy and begin firing shots over the big bruin’s head. The bear was well-known to local wardens and law enforcement after a series of break-ins in the region near the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It had become habituated to human foods after raiding coolers, unsecured garbage cans and eventually breaking into homes and businesses. Two days after Evitt shot at the bear, which luckily scared it off, Fish, Wildlife & Parks responded to another nearby call of a bear break-in. They shot the grizzly as it waded into the Yellowstone River. The bear floated downstream before becoming lodged on a bank. FWP boated down to the bear and removed its head and claws to ensure they weren’t sold on the black market. So, if you’re floating the Yellowstone River near Gardiner and see a large headless, paw-less bear, now you know the rest of the story. To learn more about Evitt’s wild encounter, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/gardiner-grizzly-bear/article_14ea759c-46cb-11ef-84e4-1789396dcaca.html.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor for Billings Gazette Communications