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Man kills grizzly bear at close range near Trego
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said the landowner was unhurt after the bear was shot at close range during a nighttime noise investigation.
- On Thursday, October 1, 2026, a Trego-area landowner shot and killed a five-year-old male grizzly bear after encountering the animal at close range while investigating noises on his property, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported.
- During the fall, bears enter hyperphagia, a period of intense feeding where they consume massive amounts of calories to build fat reserves before winter denning, increasing their drive to search for food and potential for conflicts.
- This mortality brings the 2026 grizzly death toll to 36, matching all of 2025's recorded total, while 281 grizzly bear-human conflicts have been documented across Montana in 2026 alone.
- Federal and state officials are reviewing the shooting to determine if it qualifies as a defense-of-life killing under the Endangered Species Act, with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FWP investigating.
- Securing attractants like garbage and fruit in bear-resistant containers remains the most effective way to prevent conflicts, FWP said, with additional guidance available on its "Living in Bear Country" webpage.
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Landowner Kills Collared Grizzly Bear in Close Encounter Near Trego
A landowner in the Trego area shot and killed a radio-collared male grizzly bear the morning of Oct. 1 after encountering the animal at close range, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). The landowner was not injured. The man had gone outside to investigate noises on his property when he came upon the […]
The Billings Gazette+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Male grizzly shot, killed in close encounter with northwest Montana landowner
"The landowner had gone outside to investigate noises coming from his property when he encountered the bear at close range," FWP spokesperson Malia Freeman wrote.
·Billings, United States
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