Bear Captured at Soda Butte Campground Near Cooke City

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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ personnel captured a grizzly bear in the Soda Butte Campground east of Cooke City on July 22.

 

A man sleeping in a tent in the campground was bit and injured by a bear in the early morning hours of July 17. The man received wounds to his hands and was taken to a Cody, Wyoming, hospital for treatment.

 

Soda Butte and nearby Chief Joseph Campground were evacuated and closed by the U.S. Forest Service after the incident. A third campground in the area was already closed for other reasons.

 

FWP personnel set two traps in the Soda Butte Campground on July 18 in an attempt to trap a bear. A young adult female grizzly, known as bear number 495, was caught in a trap at the site of the incident on July 22. The bear was captured and collared in 2005 in Wyoming in a livestock depredation-related incident.

 

“There has been no reported bear nuisance activity in the Cooke City and Silver Gate areas since July 18,” said Kevin Frey, FWP bear management specialist. “That said, there are numerous grizzly bears in the area and often reported sightings.”

 

 

Because this bear was captured at the site of the incident, relocation back into the wild was not an option. Concerns about public safety and overall bear management programs were factors in the decision not to relocate the bear. The bear also seemed quite habituated and comfortable around people. All of these factors left the bear’s fate uncertain.

 

FWP personnel had two options: euthanize the bear or find a captive facility. Frey was able to find a place for the bear at Washington State University in Pullman. The bear will be transported to the bear research center.

 

“Over the years the WSU bear center has taken numerous bears for long-term health and nutrition studies that have helped researchers and managers with the recovery of wild grizzly bear populations in the lower-48 states,” said Frey. “The bears are well-cared for and have plenty of room outside for feeding and exercise.”

 

“We’re hopeful we caught the bear that injured the camper. We attempted to target a bear in close proximity to the campground and not draw in bears from a broader area,” said Frey. “The more time that goes by without nuisance bear activity in the area, the more likely it is that this bear was involved in the incident.”

 

All residents, recreationists, and tourists are urged to secure unnatural food attractants of all kinds that may lure bears into close proximity of people. Food rewards lead to habituated behavior in bears and can lead to incidents such as this one.

 

For more information about living and recreating in bear country, visit FWP’s website at http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/bear/aware/default.html.