We are 31 Montana professional wildlife biologists and habitat managers with a total of 1,008 years of experience. As of mid-November 2025, seven grizzly bears have been killed in Montana for “defense-of-life” (the term used to characterize bears killed because of their perceived threat to human life). That is 23 percent of the total number of known grizzly deaths in Montana this year. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Fish and Wildlife Service have released minimal information about these incidents.
We applaud FWP for their good effort on their website and for their in-person bear safety training informing people how to prevent bear encounters with grizzlies. Other agencies also contribute to public awareness about how to avoid bear encounters. However, the high number of defense-of-life grizzly kills indicates that there remains a need to improve public messaging about how to avoid situations where a grizzly is killed in defense of life. The best way to understand what happened during the interaction that resulted in a defense-of-life grizzly kill is to produce a detailed report that describes the conditions that led to the incident. Such reports would help improve public safety and agency messaging to the public on how to avoid bear encounters.
Whenever a human fatality due to a grizzly attack occurs anywhere in grizzly country, a group of agency bear experts produces a detailed public report on the incident. These interagency reports provide valuable details on what led to the attack and provide agencies and the public with information on ways try to prevent future attacks.
Reports on each defense of life grizzly death need not be as detailed or time-consuming as reports on human fatalities, but even a basic accounting of the circumstances could help agencies understand why the incident happened, reduce future grizzly deaths and improve public safety. Examples of information that FWP/FWS staff should consider in developing such reports includes was bear spray being carried and easily available; whether people involved were alone or in a group; were they aware grizzlies were in the area; how close they were when they shot at the bear; were they walking into or with the wind and at what time of day; were game animal carcasses involved (and if so, if measures were taken to reduce the probability of a surprise encounter with bears that had begun feeding on it).
After every serious accident (e.g., an airplane or auto crash, a climbing accident), there is an after-accident report to improve public safety by understanding what happened and thereby reduce future accidents.
We urge FWP and the Fish and Wildlife Service to begin producing detailed reports on each defense-of-life grizzly death with participation from bear experts both inside and outside agencies, and to make these reports publicly available. These reports do not need to name the individual(s) involved in the incident, just the details of what led to the incident. These reports can help improve public safety for everyone in grizzly country and reduce defense-of-life grizzly kills.
Chris Servheen, Ph.D. 35 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator (retired). Missoula
Kate Kendall, M.S. 36 years National Park Service and US Geological Survey as research ecologist (retired). Columbia Falls
Richard Harris, Ph.D. 16 years. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Washington Department of Wildlife as Wildlife Biologist (retired). Charlo
Mike Phillips, M.S. 35 years: US Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Restoration Leader (retired); National Park Service Grey Wolf Restoration Leader (retired); Turner Endangered Species Fund Executive Director; Montana State Legislator 2006-2020. Bozeman
Tim Thier, M.S. 32 years: 27 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as Wildlife Biologist (retired); 5 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Wildlife Biologist (retired). Trego
Dale Becker, M.S. 39 years: 7 years as a private wildlife consultant; 32 years Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes as Tribal Wildlife Program Manager. Kalispell
Joe Fontaine B.S. 28 years: 6 years U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wildlife Biologist,18 years U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Deputy Wolf Recovery Coordinator (retired), 4 years as Deputy Project Leader National Wildlife Refuge Complex (retired). Helena
Kerry R. Foresman, Ph.D. author of The Mammals of Montana; 37 years University of Montana as Professor of Biology and Wildlife Biology (retired). Missoula
Mike Madel, 40 years, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in grizzly bear research and as Grizzly Bear Management Biologist (retired). Choteau
Bruce Sterling, M.S. 38 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Management Biologist (retired). Thompson Falls
Sterling Miller, Ph.D. 21 years Alaska Fish and Game as Wildlife Management Biologist (retired). Affiliate Professor, University of Montana (retired). Lolo
Tom Puchlerz, M.S. 38 years US Forest Service as Wildlife Biologist, District Ranger, and Forest Supervisor (retired). Stevensville
Tim Manley, B.S. 37 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in grizzly bear research and as Grizzly Bear Management Biologist (retired). Bigfork
Glenn Elison, M.S. 25 years: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Assistant Regional Director for Refuges and Wildlife (retired). Lewistown
Harvey Nyberg, M.S. 26 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, last position as Regional Supervisor (retired). Lewistown
Gary Wolfe, Ph.D. 42 years: 4 years as a Commissioner on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, 12 years Vermejo Park Ranch Wildlife Biologist/Manager and big game Hunting Outfitter and Guide; 15 years Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wildlife Biologist/Field Director, Director of Field Operations, Chief Operating Officer, President & CEO (retired); 11 years Vital Ground Foundation, Wildlife Biologist/Executive Director (retired). Missoula
Edward Bangs, MS. 36 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Wildlife Biologist on Kenai NWR and Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Coordinator (retired). Helena
Dan Carney, M.S. 31 years Blackfeet Tribe as Senior Wildlife Biologist (retired). East Glacier
Kristi DuBois, M.S. 34 years: 28 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a wildlife biologist (both game and nongame) (retired); and 6 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as a wildlife biologist (retired). Missoula
Bob Henderson, M.S. 30 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Management Biologist (retired). Missoula
Gayle Joslin, M.S. 32 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Wildlife Management Biologist and Research Biologist (retired). Helena
Mike Jimenez, M.S. 20 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Grey Wolf Research and Management Biologist (retired). Big Arm
Jack Stanford, Ph.D. 36 years Flathead Lake Biological Station as Director (retired). Bigfork
Lee H. Metzgar, Ph.D. 29 years University of Montana as Professor of Biology (retired). 13 years as independent wildlife consultant. Missoula
Jay Gore, M.S. 30 years: 10 years US Forest Service as Wildlife Biologist (retired); 13 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Wildlife Biologist (retired); 7 years Corps of Engineers as Wildlife Biologist (retired). Missoula
Keith Aune, M.S. 41 years: 31 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Wildlife Research Biologist, Laboratory Supervisor, Chief of Wildlife Research (retired); and 10 years as a wildlife biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society (retired). Bozeman
Maria Mantas, M.S. 36 years as USFS Biologist/Botanist; Science Director for The Nature Conservancy of Montana; and Executive Director of Swan Valley Connections. (retired). Kalispell
Brian Marotz, M.S. 34 years as Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Fisheries Biologist. Kalispell
William H. Geer, M.S. 40 years: 16 years as a fisheries research biologist, chief of fisheries and director of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (retired); 24 years as a biologist with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (retired). Lolo
Jim Claar: M.S. 32 years: 21 years U.S. Forest Service as Wildlife Biologist (retired), and 11 years Bureau of Indian Affairs as Wildlife Program Manager (retired). Missoula
Mary Maj, M.S. 32 years US Forest Service as District and Regional Wildlife Biologist, Resource Staff Officer, and District Ranger (retired). Helena