A male grizzly was shot and killed Wednesday south of the north-central town of Havre, Montana, on the northeast side of the Bear's Paw Mountains.
Authorities with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks department (FWP) on Friday said the bear was “threatening” a landowner in the area when he opened fire on the grizzly, killing it.
“The man heard a disturbance with his dogs and when he opened the door to his porch, he encountered the bear and shot it,” the department said in a statement.
The man was not hurt.
Grizzly Mortality Dashboard
This is the seventh grizzly killed this year in Montana, according to a dashboard maintained by the FWP.
Three of the grizzlies, including one June 4, were killed in “defense of life.” One was killed when hit by a vehicle, another removed due to a conflict with livestock, one falls under the category of “mistaken ID,” while the first killing of the season is under investigation.
At this time last year, five grizzlies had been killed. Overall in 2024, 29 grizzly mortalities were documented in Montana.
The dashboard includes all known sources of mortality and is defined by the removal of a bear from the Montana population.
Earlier Shooting
Wednesday’s shooting is similar to an incident in May outside of Choteau, Montana, which is also an area not considered to be grizzly bear country.
In that incident, two landowners were picking mushrooms when they were charged by an adult female grizzly and shot and killed it at close range.
In both incidents, grizzly sightings in those areas have increased over the years as the bears have actively been reclaiming their natural habitat.
Delisting
The delisting of grizzlies has long been pushed by congressional delegations in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Rob Wallace, the former assistant secretary of the Interior during President Trump’s first term, told Cowboy State Daily in May that the chances for delisting grizzlies are probably as good as they’ve ever been.
But nothing is likely to happen until Wyoming’s Brian Nesvik is confirmed to be the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“I think it would be wise to wait until Brian Nesvik gets confirmed before they make that decision,” Wallace said. “He’s got, without a doubt, as much — if not more — experience with grizzly bears as anybody in the Interior department.”
Previous attempts to delist grizzlies have ended up getting halted in federal courts. Nesvik has the experience and savvy to help craft a delisting plan that won’t get held up in court, Wallace said.
“You just don’t want to trip yourself up and end up in court again, and he’ll know best how to navigate that minefield,” Wallace said.
Jimmy Orr can be reached at jimmy@cowboystatedaily.com.
