MTFWP investigating Ovando Grizzly activity

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is actively trying to capture two bears that have been hanging out in the Ovando area recently.

A web camera at the Blackfoot Angler capture the bears on video June 5 and again June 7 as they nosed around the center of town, apparently searching for trash.

"They are definitely garbage bears and they also seem to know what chicken feed and grain is," Jamie Jonkel, Region 2 Wildlife Management Specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said. "That seems to be what they're keying into. They're looking for grain, they're testing any kind of containers. They've gotten grain in plastic containers. Grain needs to be locked up in a steel box."

Since the bears appear to be accustomed to trash, it makes Jonkel believe they migrated into the area from somewhere else because he said they "keep a good, tight, clean ship all around that area."

"It makes me think its a couple bears from around the Clearwater, Swan Valley country," Jonkel said .: Sadly, that's quite a training ground. Too many people living in there, too many houses, low income, lot of garbage, lot of bird feeders."

A bicyclist on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route reportedly had a brush with the bears when he was camping at the Harry Morgan Fishing access south of Ovando.

"We're assuming it's them, but we don't have any video proof," Jonkel said. "It could have been a completely different bear because we've got so many bears in the Ovando Valley. I do know they were all around Ovando and several places just adjacent to town."

The recent uptick in bear activity in the Potomac, Seely and Ovando areas, as well as the female grizzly killed on Highway 200 east of Lincoln makes Jonkel think Lincoln should start seeing more grizzly and black bear activity in and around town.

"If people haven't taken their bird feeders down and haven't contained their garbage and contained their chicken grain and horse grain in steel boxes, now is the time to do it," Jonkel said.

He recommened checking the Missoulabears.org website for more information on bear and mountain lion activity in western Montana.