KALISPELL – A black bear hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear in the Swan Valley on May 20.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks personnel responded to the incident, which happened in the Piper Creek drainage in the Swan Valley on U.S. Forest Service land.
The hunter, a man from Pennsylvania, reported the incident to FWP. The adult male grizzly bear weighed 500 pounds and was about 18 years old.
The hunter told FWP game wardens that he mistakenly identified the animal as a black bear. The incident occurred during the spring hunting season for black bears, which ended May 31.
The individual had a license to hunt black bears.
FWP game wardens investigated the incident in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the dead grizzly bear was removed from the site.
Grizzly bears cannot be legally hunted in Montana, and black bear hunters are required to pass an identification test before purchasing a black bear hunting license.
FWP reminds hunters to learn how to identify bears, and be absolutely sure of their target and, if in doubt, to not shoot.
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For more information on what to do during a grizzly bear encounter, visit
- http://www.cfc.umt.edu/grizzlybearrecovery/grizzly-bears/default.php
- http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/management/grizzlyBear/
- http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=AMAJB01020.
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