Three grizzly cubs killed near Bigfork

Zena Pirone had grown fond of watching a mother grizzly bear and her cubs periodically wander through her property in Ferndale.

So when she learned three of the cubs had been shot and killed by another Ferndale resident, she was upset.

“I just want to cry, it’s just horrible,” she said.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley said the family of bears had been coming into the area for a while, eating chickens and getting into garbage cans, bird seed and dog food that weren’t properly stored.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks had six traps set in the Ferndale area to catch the family of bears when the cubs were shot.

“We were dealing with those bears for basically about a month,” Manley said.

Before the cubs were shot about two weeks ago, the mother grizzly had kicked them off so she could go mate, Manley said. Newly independent, the cubs returned to Ferndale, where they were killed.

The killing of the cubs is under investigation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent Brian Lakes said the investigation is ongoing, and they can’t release any details. When the investigation has been completed, it will go to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Grizzlies are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Manley said grizzly bears causing trouble in the Ferndale area is an almost yearly occurrence. “There’s good bear habitat out there,” he said. “We get a lot of reports of black bears and grizzly bears around there.”

He advises residents to not leave attractants like birdseed, dog food and garbage out.

He asks that bird feeders be taken down the first of April and not put back up until December. “Birds don’t need the seed in the summer,” Manley said.

Manley said there have also been people leaving out corn to feed turkeys and deer. No only is this illegal, he said, but “bears like corn as well.”

Bears have good memories, and will sometimes return to places where they have found food in the past. By offering attractants, Manley said, “you’re basically training bears to come to your house to eat. You’re truly affecting your neighbors by leaving attractants out by bring bears in.”

And if you have chickens, put up an electric fence.

“We’ve had a big problem with chickens down there,” he said. “If you live in an area with bears, an electric fence is something we recommend people put up.”

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has loaned electric fences to some residents. Not only does he recommend them for chickens, but also fruit trees.

“Bears can do a lot of damage to fruit trees,” Manley said.

Pirone and her husband, Greg Gorham, have lived in the Ferndale area for almost 14 years and while they have seen all kinds of wildlife on their property, they’ve never had any problems. They watch the bears and other animals from their one-room cabin, and have pictures of some of the wildlife that has passed through their yard hanging on their walls.

“Greg and I are huge bear fans,” Pirone said.

She said she didn’t understand why the bears were shot when there are other, effective ways to deal with bear encounters. She advocates for making lots of noise, banging on pots and pans or using bear spray.

The couple worked as caretakers for the 4-H camp on Loon Lake and would greet each new family with a warning about bears, and loan them bear spray to take on walks.

“If you have a bear spray you can save a bear’s life and can save your life,” Pirone said.

She’d like to see people be educated and aware of how to live in bear habitat.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site provides pointers for living in areas like Ferndale.

“Most people down there do a good job of living with bears and other wildlife,” Manley said. “But you need to be responsible and not leave stuff out that’s going to bring bears to your house.”