POLSON — Last week, two grizzly bears were spotted near downtown Polson, swimming in Polson Bay before getting on a dock near Polson Bay Golf Course.
Two grizzly bears were spotted swimming in Polson Bay near a local park last week. Wildlife officials share what you can do to stay bear aware this fall
Wildlife officials were able to safely trap one bear while the other grizzly left the area.
“It was pretty unusual to see two large grizzly bears swimming through what is essentially a park where kids are swimming and families go to hang out,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation Manager Whisper Camel-Means.
“So if they were swimming around looking for food, perhaps they got startled from where they were before and were just trying to get away from something, and it just turned out to be next to a park in Polson,” added Camel-Means.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Wildlife Biologist Payton Adams coordinated with game wardens, MT Fish Wildlife and Parks, and local law enforcement to safely secure the area and trap one of the grizzlies that was sitting on a dock in a residential neighborhood.
The other grizzly is believed to have left the area before wildlife officials arrived.
“This is the first time that I’ve seen a grizzly bear within the city limits of Polson,” said Adams.
Adams said the grizzly was relocated in the Mission Mountains.
He said the two bears were likely looking for food sources from fruit trees and unsecured garbage cans.
“I think that’s why it’s important to secure attractants, take fruit that we don’t need off the landscape, or if people do want to keep their fruit on their fruit trees, we have loaned electric fences that we can loan out,” said Adams.
Camel-Means said bears are searching far and wide right now for food sources before hibernation.
She expects bear activity to remain active throughout the fall.
“Take down your bird feeders, watch your garbage, keep that picked up. Fruit is one of the big ones right now; try to keep your fruit picked up, let’s work together so that we can avoid those negative interactions, we don’t want people to get hurt and we don’t want bears to get killed,” said Camel-Means.
Residents and visitors are urged to keep a close eye on children and pets, secure garbage, and keep a safe distance from any wildlife. Any bear sightings should be reported to game wardens. Call 911 in an emergency.
