Grizzly Kills Cattle Near Dupuyer

[Ptah]

A ranch about five miles west of Dupuyer lost 10 calves earlier this week to grizzly bears.

The cattle were located in a creek bottom with thick willow cover. Specialists from USDA Wildlife Services, working in coordination with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ bear specialist, confirmed a grizzly was the cause of the depredation and at least 12 grizzly bears were in the area, including sows with cubs.

This depredation event near Dupuyer presents a unique challenge for the landowner and bear specialists alike because the high density of bears could result in more depredations. Additionally, there is uncertainty as to which bear, or bears, killed the cattle, and it is an extremely difficult and dangerous circumstance for specialists to try and capture individual bears. The cattle that were in the creek bottom have been moved to a different pasture to allow for better protection. The livestock owner will be eligible for compensation from the livestock loss fund.

While options are limited in this particular circumstance, FWP and Wildlife Services can often identify and provide assistance to proactively protect livestock and to help reduce other kinds of bear conflict.



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