The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has led the recovery of the grizzly bear in the lower 48 states since 1983. Committee experts say that bear spray is critical to grizzly bear recovery because it effectively deters grizzly bears and helps humans to avoid injury.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear managers say that most of the time people not bears determine how an encounter with a grizzly or black bear turns out. Bears, given a choice, will avoid people.

The best strategy for dealing with reawakening bears this spring is to avoid them in the first place, said Kevin Frey, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear biologist in Bozeman.

Grizzly and black bears generally wake up all over Montana in early April.

One sure way for a Montana community to co-exist safely and happily with local bears is to bear-proof the community, say some.

Many Montanans unaccustomed to recreating in grizzly bear country may be caught unprepared by the food storage orders in effect on U.S. Forest Service lands including the Flathead, Lolo, Lewis and Clark, and Helena National Forests and others.

As Montana’s bears emerge from their dens in the next few weeks, Montanans can get a refresher course on living with bears by visiting the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks new Be Bear Aware web pages.

Professional photographers know that to get great wildlife shots they need to use telephoto lenses and be very patient. Most professionals practice some form of low-impact photography and devote years to obtaining particular shots.