Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has reported two incidents in Southwest Montana where bears have charged hunters, forcing the hunters to discharge their rifles in self defense. No hunters were injured in the incidents and it is unknown if the bears were injured. 

“In late October, a hunter on Landon Ridge in the south end of the Gravelly Mountains was hunting in thick cover. A grizzly bear reportedly charged him from close range, and the hunter fired one shot from his hunting rifle. The bear ran off, and the hunter didn't know if his shot hit the bear. The hunter was uninjured,” explained Morgan E. Jacobsen, Communication and Education Program Manager for FWP Region 3. 

“On Nov. 1, a hunter in the North Fork of Wolf Creek east of the Madison Valley was reportedly charged by a grizzly bear at close range,” he continued. “The hunter fired his rifle to deter the attack, and the bear ran off. Again, the hunter was uninjured and unsure if he hit the bear.” 

“FWP staff interviewed the hunters, and it appears they acted in self-defense, which is appropriate. Both incidents happened in remote locations with high densities of grizzly bears. FWP staff have not visited these sites due to their remote locations, but we have notified the public of these incidents via a news release and the social media post 

Jacobsen noted that the weather has been unusually warm for the start of the 2026 general hunting season, but stopped short of labeling that as a cause of the incidents. 

“We certainly have had unseasonably mild weather so far this fall, but it's hard to say how/whether it's had any impact on bear behavior,” he said. “It's possible that prolonged mild weather means hunters are spending more time in areas with high-density grizzly bear numbers, whereas the arrival of winter weather makes some of those places inaccessible. At the time that these two incidents occurred (end of October/early November), I'd say it's somewhat normal for the time of year they happened in.”

Montana FWP took precautionary measures in closing the Bear Creek trail from Nov. 7 to Nov. 17 after a horse carcass was reported on the trail to ensure that it would not lead bears and hunters to conflict. 

“A horse fell and died early this month next to Bear Creek Trail No. 6326. The Forest Service initiated a closure on Nov. 4 that applies to a 1-mile section of the trail, which traverses both state land and national forest,” he explained. “The closure was put in place for public safety because the carcass posed a bear attractant risk in proximity to the trail. Closures like this are not uncommon when a large animal carcass is found on or near a trail that sees lots of visitation from recreationists in an area with high grizzly bear activity. Sometimes the Forest Service can remove a carcass using explosives if it is found early, but that was not used in this case.”

This time of year both black and grizzly bears are spending more time looking for food in preparation for the Winter according to FWP. There are also more people in the woods as hunters search for game and carcasses left by hunters that are attractants for the feeding bears. Jacobsen has some pointers on how hunters can stay safer in the woods. 

“There are many steps hunters can take to avoid conflicts with grizzly bears,” he began. “key among them is carry bear spray, travel in groups, make noise when possible (especially after harvesting an animal), follow food storage orders, and remove harvested game from the field as quickly as possible. Lots more resources on being safe in grizzly bear country can be found at www.fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware.