Spring bear hunting highlights

MINERAL COUNTY – The county is ready to hunt, bears that is. 

However, some hunters who are looking to bag the big one in higher elevations may need to wait until later in the season as the remaining cold weather has left large snowfall amounts in Mineral County mountains. 

“Hunters are often unable to reach hunting areas higher in elevation due to remaining snow pack,” said Tyler Ramaker, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden for Region 2. “The season extension, will hopefully give hunters the chance to reach those higher elevation areas and it gives them a longer opportunity to fill their bear tag.” 

Statewide, at least 19,351 resident black bear licenses have been sold so far, and 351 non-residents have bought a license, which is on par with most years, according to a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden.

“Bears are starting to appear in many parts of the state including Mineral County,” Ramaker said. “This time of year, bears can be found on slopes that are exposed to the sun where they are looking for the first green grass of the year.”

Spring bear season runs from April 15 to June 15 in Mineral County. 

The FWP warns that hunters should wait a minimum of 24 hours after purchasing a license before hunting.

“This discourages hunters from shooting a bear without a license and then going and buying a license afterward,” Ramaker said. 

Hunters should also take their time. It is recommended to wait 30 minutes before deciding to shoot a bear as to correctly identify the bear as a black bear and not a grizzly bear. Hunters should also ensure they are not shooting a cub or a female with cubs.

“It is illegal to shoot grizzly bears as they are currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act,” Ramaker said.

FWP requires a Bear Identification Program, which is to prevent the killing of grizzly bears as a result of mistaken identity. Black bear hunters in Montana are required to pass this identification test in order to buy a hunting license.

Once a hunter harvests a bear, the FWP requires that the hunter validate and attach both bear tags to the animal. Once the hide is separated from the meat, one tag gets attached to the hide and the other is attached to the meat. There should be evidence of the bear’s sex, which should be naturally attached to the hide. The shooter must present at least the hide and the skull to an FWP official within five days of the kill.

Hunters and homeowners should keep in mind that as bears continue to emerge from their dens, conflicts could be minimized in residential areas, which can be avoided if food, garbage and other attractants are kept in places where bears cannot get to them.  

“When bears become conditioned to associating humans with food, they usually have to be trapped, relocated or killed,” Ramaker said. 

The FWP offers the following tips for avoiding conflicts with bears in residential areas:

- Keep garbage and containers inside your garage until the day of your garbage pickup.

- Store pet and livestock food inside buildings or bear-proof containers. 

- Avoid using bird feeders because bears are attracted to the seed, sugar and suet.

In bear hunting district 200, the end of spring black bear season was extended until June 15, which is slightly longer than last year, which had a May 31 deadline.