Grizzly seen in Lincoln as bear activity, awareness increase

A young grizzly bear spotted in Lincoln Sunday afternoon caused some alarm on social media, but it apparently headed back to the Blackfoot River without incident.

A Facebook post by Brandi Langlois indicated the bear had crossed her yard on Meadow Street on the west side of Lincoln and was headed toward town. Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse attempted to locate the bear, but it had apparently gotten spooked and headed back south to the Blackfoot River without making its way into town.

Although they aren't always seen in Lincoln itself, the town is firmly in bear country on the southern edge of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem's Primary conservation area. According to the 2020 annual report by the Grizzly Bear Population Monitoring Team, the NCDE it is home to an estimated 1100 grizzlies.

Grizzlies, black bears and mountain lions all frequent the Lincoln area on a regular basis, traveling up and down the Blackfoot River corridor regularly.

"Lincoln is a town slapped right in down in the middle of a big, wet riparian area and just about all the grizzlies I've had collared the last ten years have spent a week or more there during the summer," FWP Bear Specialist Jamie Jonkel, told the BVD back in 2012, after a young grizzly captured in the area prompted concerns about a potential predator "bottleneck" at the Stemple Bridge.

The death of cyclist Leah Davis Lokan, who was killed by a grizzly in Ovando July 6, has brought the presence of bears, particularly grizzlies, into a sharper focus throughout the Upper Blackfoot Valley. The bear in that incident is believed to have been killed Friday July 9 by USDA Wildlife Services specialists who were monitoring a trap about two miles from Ovando. Unconfirmed reports indicate the bear may have had a prior injury that prompted its unusual behavior.

According to missoulabears.org, a website that records bear and lion activity across west-central Montana, bear activity has been increasing recently. Although much of the activity is related to black bears, there was steady grizzly activity throughout the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds, throughout June and into July, particularly in and around agricultural areas in valleys, and at sites where there are good huckleberries and serviceberries.

Bear sightings in the Lincoln area should be reported to Lincoln Game Warden Ezra Schwalm at 406-438-3666. In the event it is an emergency, call 911. Sightings can also be reported to Jonkel at 406-542-5500 or by filling out a report online with Missoualbears.org, which is monitored by FWP.

Grizzlies remain a federally protected species, which makes it illegal to harm, harass, or kill grizzly bears, except in cases of self-defense or the defense of others."