Man searching for shed antlers shoots grizzly during encounter in Montana

Helena, Mont. — A man searching for antlers shot and killed a grizzly bear on April 25 during an encounter on private land northwest of Wolf Creek.

The man was walking along a ridge covered with low trees and brush with his two dogs at his side and the wind at his back while searching for shed antlers. After seeing a fresh grizzly bear track in a snow patch, he continued along his path and a few minutes later he first saw the bear standing near the top of the ridge about 20 yards away.

The bear dropped to all four legs and charged the man, who drew his handgun and fired five shots from distances about 30 feet to 10 feet, grazing the bear with a one shot and hitting and killing it with another shot. The man was not injured in the encounter. He was not carrying bear spray.

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The adult female grizzly was in good condition, weighed about 300 pounds, and was estimated to be 12 years old. The bear had a single cub-of-the-year nearby that was later captured by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department bear management specialists and taken to FW&P’s wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena. FW&P is currently looking for placement for the cub at an accredited zoo.

The incident remains under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

WISCONSIN

— FW&P Report

Canadian Wildfire Smoke to Choke Upper Midwest, Again

Madison, Wis. (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires already has prompted health warnings across the Upper Midwest and Montana for the second year in a row.

A record number of wildfires in 2023 forced more than 235,000 people across Canada to evacuate and sent thick smoke into parts of the U.S., prompting hazy skies and health advisories in multiple U.S. cities.

There were 200 fires burning in Canada by mid-May last year, compared with 90 fires as of earlier this month, said Dave Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, a government environmental protection agency.

The chances of more wildfires this summer appear high. Lightning strikes could trigger fires that quickly spread in forests suffering intense drought in northeastern British Columbia, northwestern Alberta, and the southern Northwest Territories, according the Canadian National Wildland Fire Situation report. Drought conditions look to be less severe in Ontario and Quebec in the coming months.