MISSOULA — Montana wildlife officials euthanized a young male grizzly bear after it repeatedly broke into a barn in the Blackfoot Valley to access grain.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear management specialist James Jonkel says the sub-adult bear was captured Sunday. The decision to euthanize it was made in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Jonkel says 2018 saw the highest bear conflict year on record in the Blackfoot Valley, east of Missoula. He says they’re now seeing young bears that learned bad behavior last year returning to look for livestock feed.