Condon landowner kills grizzly in self defense
A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license).
A landowner in northwest Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear on June 3, after it reportedly charged at close range.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the landowners was not harmed during the encounter.
On the night of June 3, a man heard noises outside his residence in the Swan Valley between Condon and Seeley Lake and disturbances with his dogs and livestock.
The man went outside to check on his animals and a grizzly bear charged at him. The man shot and killed the bear.
According to FWP's grizzly mortality dashboard, the bear was a male grizzly. It was the sixth known grizzly death in the state this year and first in Flathead County.
In 2024, FWP reported 29 grizzly deaths from conflict management, self-defense, train or car accidents, poaching incidents or accidental take from mistaking a grizzly for a black bear.
The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration.
Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists could encounter them in more places each year.
Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:
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.
Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. 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.
For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.
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