New griz wanders westward

By STEVE KADEL Western News Reporter

A grizzly bear released Oct. 2 in the west Cabinet Mountains has wandered about four miles northwest and is staying away from any major roads.

That was the report Monday from Wayne Kasworm, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's chief local bear biologist. He confirmed the female's location via radio collar signal during a flight on Thursday, Oct. 6.

The bear was released in the vicinity of Spar Lake as part of efforts to bolster the Cabinet grizzly population. The female, estimated to be about 7 years old and weighing 275 pounds, was trapped in the Flathead Range where grizzlies are more plentiful.

"She has gone over the hill into the Lightning Creek drainage," Kasworm said. "She is still two miles inside of Montana in a good out-of-the-way place. The nearest road is still quite a way from where she is."

Weather permitting, the biologist planned to fly again Tuesday to keep tracking her whereabouts. Surveillance will continue until denning occurs.

The bear's release was a joint effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Officials say there is a chance the grizzly is pregnant.

She was chosen for relocation because there is no record of having had encounters with humans. Kasworm said biologists particularly wanted a bear that had not been habituated to human food sources.

His recent flight also turned up information on the wanderings of a large male grizzly that was trapped and collared in late September. That bear, named Mist, was captured on the south fork of the Bull River.

Mist is now on the east side of the Cabinets. He has traveled at least 25 "airline miles" from point to point to point, according to readings Kasworm has logged. However, the biologist said it's likely the bear has covered significantly more miles than that on a meandering path.

Another grizzly is getting accustomed to a new location in Kootenai National Forest after being transferred from the upper Pipe Creek area last week. The bear was captured in a culvert trap after reportedly visiting several homes in the area, and going onto a porch in at least one case.

Biologists released the bear in the Northwest Peaks area on Oct. 5.

"In talking to residents, I have no evidence that this bear got any food but it was seen on someone's porch and as a pre-emptive move we took the animal to a different spot," Kasworm said.

It is believed that male grizzly is the brother of a female bear also reported to be coming around upper Pipe Creek residences in recent weeks, he added. The female was- collared by wildlife authorities in July, and has not been relocated.

"Our thought was that by breaking the family up the bears would be a little more wary," Kasworm said. "They were probably going to separate anyway, if not this year then next year. My assumption is that these are 2- or 3-year-olds dumped by Mom in July."