Bear Aware month events continue across western Montana

Upcoming activities planned for Philipsburg, Missoula, and Lolo

MISSOULA – September is Bear Aware month in Montana, and a series of events are taking place across the state, including here in western Montana. Join Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff and others to learn how to avoid conflicts with bears.

In west-central Montana, upcoming events include:

• Sept. 13, Philipsburg, 4-6 p.m., Zane Murfitt Park Pavilion, community bear aware event
• Sept. 21, Missoula, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Clark Fork River Market, bear info booth
• Sept. 22, Lolo, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Travelers’ Rest State Park, bear aware day
• Thursdays (3-6 p.m.) and Fridays (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) all month, Missoula FWP office; stop by and get your bear questions answered and learn how to use bear spray.

The Philipsburg community event is a celebration of FWP and the City of Philipsburg’s newly formed partnership to work together to reduce conflicts with bears.  The event will include an unveiling of bear resistant garbage cans that were recently installed in Zane Murfitt Park, an achievement made possible through the collaborative efforts of the City of Philipsburg, People and Carnivores, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and FWP. Bear education materials and some food and drinks will be available.   

In Missoula, be sure stop by the FWP office every Thursday (between 3-6 p.m.) and Friday (between 11 a.m.-1 p.m.) all month to get your bear questions answered and practice with inert bear spray. Or stop by and visit with wildlife staff at the Clark Fork River Market on Sept. 21 or Travelers’ Rest State Park on Sept. 22.

Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building or certified bear-resistant container. 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 wildlife in Montana.
• 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.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware or visit our Bear Aware playlist on YouTube.

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