Grizzly bear monitoring planned in SW Montana, public asked to avoid posted areas

Grizzly bear monitoring planned in SW Montana, public asked to avoid posted areas

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Biologists are preparing to begin a round of grizzly bear capturing and monitoring operations in southwest Montana. Researchers are asking people to stay out of posted areas as trapping gets underway later this month.

The work is part of long-term monitoring required under the Endangered Species Act.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team says they will conduct capture operations on private lands in the Madison Range. That includes areas south of Highway 84, west of Highway 191, and north of Highway 287.

“Our primary goal is to track changes in the Yellowstone grizzly bear population over time, specifically how many bears there are, how fast the population is growing, and what factors influence their survival and reproduction,” said Matthew Gould, biologist and team leader for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.

Team members include representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Gould tells NBC Montana biologists use natural food sources including trout, moss, and whitebark pine to attract bears.

“When a bear is captured, biologists will safely immobilize it using methods approved by animal safety institutions. Once the bear is sedated, then our biologists will monitor the bear's viral rates to ensure that the safety of the bear while also collecting data such as morphological measurements, genetic samples,” he said.

Gould adds, “We also fit a radio collar to the individual, and that helps us monitor the bear's movements and survival. The bear is then placed back in the trap after the handling has been completed to recover in a quiet and safe environment from the anesthesia.”

Officials say bright warning signs will be posted at major access points near active trap sites. They're urging people to stay out of any posted areas while trapping is underway to help keep both people and bears safe.

Field captures are scheduled to continue through Aug. 28.