Grizzly, black bears converge on valley for berries

KALISPELL, Mont. – Grizzly and black bears are leaving the mountains and roaming populated areas of the Flathead Valley in search of ripening serviceberries and hawthorn berries, bear officials said.

The valley’s bumper crop of berries contrasts with a relatively poor huckleberry crop at higher elevations, said Tim Manley, grizzly bear management specialist with the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Eric Wenum, his counterpart who works with black bears, said more and more bears are coming out of the mountains.

Numerous bears have been trapped and taken to outlying, relatively remote areas, the bear specialists said.

However, two orphan yearling grizzly bears that artificially denned in the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage over the winter were captured a week ago and moved to the state agency’s holding facility in Helena.

They had been getting into garbage at campsites along Hungry Horse Reservoir and became food-conditioned, the bear managers said.

Manley said he has detected considerable movement of grizzly bears fitted with radio collars.