Page 68 - Flathead Beacon // 4.8.15

68 | APRIL 8, 2015
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Montana Sidelines
Roundup of recent sports and outdoors news
By DILLON TABISH
MORLEY SIDELINED FROM RUNNING DUE TO ANEMIA
Makena Morley could miss her se- nior track season after a doctor deter- mined she is suffering from an iron de- ficiency and diagnosed her with anemia.
The Bigfork senior and multiple state champion distance runner told the Bea- con on April 2 that she will be sidelined from competition for an unknown pe- riod of time.
“I won’t be racing for awhile but hop- ing that I will be able to reach some of my goals by state and after,” she said.
The track season recently got under- way and concludes May 22-23 with the Class B state meet at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Morley is the defending Class B state champion in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 races. In the fall cross country season, she broke her own all-class state record. She won a high-profile international race in Scotland in January, further ce- menting her place among the best prep runners. She has committed to run at the University of Montana next fall.
Morley competed at the 75th Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational track meet in Arizona on March 21 and ran the 1,600. She said after returning home she felt something was wrong and had low energy. After visiting a doctor, she dis- covered she was very iron deficient and anemic.
Anemia is a condition that devel- ops when a person’s blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. It is the most common blood condition in the U.S., af- fecting roughly 3.5 million Americans. Women are at an increased risk of de- veloping anemia. It can lead to extreme fatigue.
Iron deficiency is a common nutri- tional deficiency and is also more com- mon among women.
BEARS EMERGING FROM MOUNTAIN DENS ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA
Withthearrivalofspring,bearsare emerging from their mountain dens and descending into the lower valleys in search of food.
Last week, tribal biologists located a radio-collared female grizzly bear at the base of the Mission Mountains on the Flathead Reservation.
Stacy Courville, wildlife program bear biologist with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, reminds the public that springtime is accompa- nied by an increase in bear activity. Af- ter stirring awake, bears begin seeking food sources, and they are often drawn to items such as garbage, pet food, bird feeders and chicken coops. Food-deplet- ed bears can react aggressively if they’re surprised while feeding.
Residents are reminded to take steps to avoid conflicts by reducing attrac- tants.
Wildlife managers recommend bear- resistant bins in communities and on ranches; electric fence systems to pro- tect chicken coops, bee yards and sheep bedding grounds; and random redis- tribution of livestock carcasses each spring.
Domestic chickens have been a par- ticularly serious problem the past few years, according to wildlife managers.
Since 2010, tribal biologists have captured 26 grizzly bears related to dep- redations on chickens or other small livestock. Thirteen of those bears were either euthanized or placed in zoos, ac- cording to CSKT.
Biologists determined that an effec- tive electric fence would have prevented the bear conflict in all of the incidents, accordingtoCourville.
There are over 1,000 grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Eco- system, an area encompassing the Flat- head and Swan valleys. It’s the largest population of grizzlies in the lower 48 states.
Anyone recreating in bear country is also encouraged to take precaution. Courville highly recommends people carry bear spray in the outdoors. Bear spray should be readily accessible and the user should know how to use it, Courville said. The proper use of bear spray has proven to be the best and most effective method for fending off threat- ening and attacking bears and for pre- venting injury to the person and animal involved, Courville said.
One of the best ways to ensure safety is to travel in a group of three or more people and make noise. Recreationists should make loud noise especially when in dense brush or near running water where surprise encounters are likely to take place.
If a grizzly bear is observed on the reservation, report it to the Wildlife Management Program at 406-883- 2888. Report bear conflicts or problems to Tribal Law & Order Dispatch at 406- 675-4700.
To report a bear incident outside the reservation, contact Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 406-892-0802.
To receive information on securing bear attractants and preventing con- flicts, call the Tribal Wildlife Manage- ment Program at (406) 883-2888.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Be Bear Aware website at http://fwp. mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWith- Wildlife/beBearAware/ is an easy way for homeowners and landowners to as- sess what they need to do to prevent bear conflicts.
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