Educational activities planned around state

HELENA – September is Bear Aware month in Montana and as bear activity increases and archery hunters take the field, Gov. Greg Gianforte, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and several partner organizations, are highlighting the importance of being bear aware.

On Friday, Gov. Gianforte proclaimed September as Bear Aware Month. Along with this proclamation, FWP and partners will host several education events and opportunities featuring activities, prizes and giveaways, including bear spray and other fun items.

These events include:

• Sept. 3, Bozeman, 5:30 p.m., Bear Aware presentation, Museum of the Rockies
• Sept. 4, Helena, 4-4:45 p.m., Bear Yoga for kids ages 3-7, Montana WILD
• Sept. 4, Miles City, 5:30-7 p.m., Bear Aware presentation with hands-on bear spray demos, FWP Office T352 I-94 Business Loop
• Sept. 4, Zoom, 6-7:30 p.m., Virtual bear safety presentation with information for hunters, join via Zoom
• Sept. 5, Columbus, 4-6:30 p.m., Farmers Market, Granite Peak Park
• Sept. 7, Lewistown, All day, Lewistown Chokecherry Festival on Main Street
• Sept. 7, Trego, All day, Trego Rendezvous Days, TFS Community Hall
• Sept. 10, Helena, 4-4:45 p.m., Bear Story Time for young learners (accompanied by an adult), Montana WILD
• Sept. 12, Columbia Falls, 5-8 p.m., Columbia Falls Community Market, 165 Veteran Drive, next to St. Richard Catholic Church
• Sept. 13, Billings, 10 a.m.-noon, Bear Story Time, Billings Public Library
• Sept. 19, Helena, 5-8 p.m., Bear Safety Skills – for the whole family, Montana WILD
• Sept. 21, Missoula, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Clark Fork River Market, 225 S. Pattee Street

For more details about these and other events and activities, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware. To watch an interview with a hunter who survived a grizzly bear attack, click here.

Grizzly bear populations and distribution continue to increase across Montana. In many places, these increases are happening in areas where the human population is increasing.  it’s more important than ever to be bear aware. Bears also become more active in late summer and fall as they spend more time eating in preparation for hibernation. This increased activity often puts them in close proximity to hunters, homeowners, agriculture operations, and communities.

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with such conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building or certified bear-resistant container. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
• Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.
• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
• Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
• If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear or visit our Bear Aware playlist on YouTube.