Montana – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Bike from Montana to Idaho on the Route of the Hiawatha

It’s a ride to remember.

Go on a bike ride to remember on the Route of the Hiawatha. Once the site of a historic railroad, this 15-mile biking and hiking trail travels a scenic path between Idaho and Montana. It’s the ideal location for a serene tour of picturesque forests. Plus, for curious adventurers, the region’s mysterious tunnels and past glories provide enough intrigue to fuel a weekend of exploration.

Before this trail became the Route of the Hiawatha, it was a railroad known as the Milwaukee Road. The line prospered in the 1800s, sailed through a massive forest fire in 1910, and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1935 (and 1977). Today, cyclists can unravel these stories and more while traveling past miles of thriving trees and bright blue skies. Learn more about these iconic stories and sights with this photo guide to the Route of the Hiawatha.

Montana angler kills grizzly bear north of Yellowstone

A Montana angler shot and killed a grizzly bear Wednesday north of Yellowstone National Park in an apparent case of self-defense.

A Montana angler shot and killed a protected grizzly bear Wednesday in an apparent case of self-defense.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, two anglers surprised the adult male bear while hiking on private land along Tom Miner Creek north of Yellowstone National Park.

The bear charged both anglers in what Fish, Wildlife & Parks described as “defensive behavior” in close quarters. One angler shot and killed the bear.

The case is under investigation and further details were not provided.

The incident occurred four days after two hunters shot and killed a female grizzly bear in self-defense near the Montana town of Whitefish.

The men were scouting in advance of the fall hunting season for non-protected game when they surprised the bear. Both men opened fire and one was shot in the shoulder and required hospitalization.

The grizzly bear had a cub that ran off after the incident.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release that anyone venturing into bear country should make “localized noise” to alert bears and reduce the likelihood of surprise encounters.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Montana hunters kill grizzly bear during surprise encounter

Two men from Whitefish, Montana, shot and killed a grizzly bear Saturday in self-defense while scouting in advance of hunting season.

Two men from Whitefish, Montana, shot and killed a protected grizzly bear Saturday in self-defense while scouting in advance of the fall hunting season for other species.

One of the men was shot in the back shoulder during the chaotic encounter in the Whitefish Range. The man was treated at a nearby hospital.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release that the men were in dense woods when they surprised a female grizzly bear with one cub. The adult bear charged and the men shot and killed the animal.

Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained that the bear’s behavior appeared to have been in defense of her cub. She did not have a history of conflict with humans.

The bear, tagged by researchers in 2009, was about 25 years old.

As of late Monday, FWP had not located the cub.

The agency determined after an investigation that the bear was shot in self-defense. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with the findings.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Massive grizzly bear in for a shock during next back scratch

A massive grizzly bear that claimed a Montana storage shed as its personal scratching post has apparently been persuaded to stay away.

A giant grizzly bear that claimed a Montana storage shed as its personal scratching post has apparently been persuaded to keep away.

The male grizzly bear in the top image is shown scent-marking a shed that stands nearly 6 feet tall.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained Tuesday that the bear had been spotted on the same private property for years. It liked to mark the shed to communicate with other bears (note the giant paw print on the door).

Generator shed now protected by electric fence. Photo: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

FWP explained via Facebook:

“This generator shed contained no food attractants and was mostly empty. Bears are often curious about wood stains/oils/varnishes/shellacs and other outdoor treatments and will readily chew and rub on these treated woods.

“Once a scent post is created, other bears traveling in the area will rub in the same spot to make their presence known to other bears.”

Since this presented a danger to humans on and near the property, state biologists and the property owner teamed to construct an electric fence around the structure.

Bear markings on generator shed. Photo: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

FWP stated: “The need for an electric fence on this structure is to prevent bears from being accustomed to and comfortable with rubbing on human structures, which can lead to them becoming more conflict-prone.

“Proactive measures, such as this one, teach bears to avoid human structures keeping people safe and reducing the need for management removal of bears.”

FWP had previously use the the image as part of a Facebook quiz that asked followers to guess whether this was a grizzly bear or black bear. But the answer was clear in the description’s wording:

“Here is a helpful hint: Grizzly bears are generally larger than black bears and may be bigger than a small shed. Also, they can be distinguished by longer, curved claws, humped shoulders, and a face that appears to be concave.”

Could fatal grizzly bear attack near Yellowstone have been avoided?

The woman who was killed by a grizzly bear Saturday near Yellowstone National Park was hiking alone and did not appear to have been armed with bear spray.

The incident occurred before 8 a.m. on the Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone, Montana. The town is just outside Yellowstone National Park.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed in a Monday news release that the unidentified woman sustained wounds “consistent with a bear attack.”

Tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub were found nearby.

ALSO: Catch of massive tarpon off Florida sparks controversy

As of Monday morning, an emergency closure of the Buttermilk Trail near the attack site remained under an emergency closure implemented by the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

Authorities are trying to locate and capture the bear believed responsible for the attack.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in the news release:

“The hiker was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene. The incident is still under joint investigation by FWP and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“FWP staff express sincere condolences to the family and friends of the hiker who was killed.”

Hikers in bear country are urged to stay in groups and to keep bear spray handy.

–Grizzly bear image courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Massive grizzly bear dwarfs storage shed; questions are raised

Images showing a giant grizzly bear dwarfing a storage shed while scratching its back on the structure have raised questions.

Photos showing an enormous grizzly bear dwarfing a storage shed while scratching its back on the structure have raised questions.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks used the images in a quiz that asked followers to guess whether this was a grizzly bear or black bear. But the answer was clearly visible in the description’s wording:

ALSO: Yellowstone guide saves motorist from momma grizzly bear’s wrath

If that wasn’t a giveaway, two hashtags mentioned grizzly bears and not one mentioned black bears. (See images below.)

Perhaps a better question was asked by the photographer, Jamie Goguen, who wondered on Facebook how much this grizzly bear might weigh.

Wrote Goguen: “Our old generator storage structure on Montana’s eastern front has become Brutus’s personal scratch tree. Then he took a nap.”

Goguen’s post generated more than 2,000 comments, mostly pertaining to the size of the bear. (The image showing the napping bruin reveals the telltale grizzly bear hump.)

Male grizzly bears are larger than females and can weigh up to 700 pounds. Black bears of the same sex and age class can be half the size of grizzly bears.

Grizzly bears are known to scratch against trees, power poles and other structures as a means of “scent marking” to communicate with other bears.

Montana black bear hunter kills charging grizzly with handgun

A Montana hunter last week shot and killed a grizzly bear during a surprise close encounter in the Madison Range.

The hunter was targeting black bears in rugged terrain when the grizzly bear charged, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The hunter, who was not injured, killed the bear with a pistol.

Grizzly bears are under state and federal protection and the case is under investigation.

The hunter notified authorities on the same day, FWP stated in a news release, claiming that he shot the grizzly bear in self-defense.

ALSO: Rare footage shows massive python slithering through Kenya stream

The grizzly bear was a 15-year-old female known to researchers, with no history of human conflict. She did not appear to be with cubs, according to the hunter.

The bear died outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem but inside the Demographic Monitoring Area for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population.

Saints sign undrafted returns specialist Malik Flowers out of Montana

The Saints have signed undrafted rookie WR Malik Flowers out of Montana, the school announced. He scored 7 touchdowns returning kicks in college:

𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 ⚡️

CONGRATS to @gt_prototype for signing with the @Saints as a free agent! 👏#GoGriz #NextLevelGriz #NFLDraft #Saints pic.twitter.com/HEpF8bWtP1

— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) May 1, 2023

Here’s a late undrafted free agent pickup for the New Orleans Saints. The Montana Grizzlies announced that wide receiver Malik Flowers has signed with New Orleans after not being picked in the 2023 NFL draft; he’s a 5-foot-11, 193-pound wide receiver who mainly worked as a returns specialist in college.

And he’s very impressive on kick returns. Flowers returned 92 kickoffs for 2,659 yards in his five-year career (an average of 28.9 yards per attempt), scoring 7 touchdowns in the return game. He wasn’t asked to field punts often, though, so he’ll need to work on that phase of the game to hang on with the Saints.

Flowers only played a bit part on offense at Montana until 2022, when he set career highs as a receiver — catching 31 receptions for 460 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs. He totaled 51 catches for 716 yards with 4 touchdown receptions in his career, along with 16 rushing attempts for another 251 yards and a touchdown run. He may have only timed the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds, but he can move when the pads come on.

The Saints don’t have a clear returns specialist on the roster right now with Rashid Shaheed lined up for a bigger role on offense, so there’s an opportunity for Flowers to make the cut if he performs well over the summer. He’ll get his first chance to shine at rookie minicamps in the next week or two.

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Yellowstone bison, spooked by hunters, stampede toward park

A Montana photographer has shared footage of dozens of bison stampeding toward Yellowstone National Park after apparently being targeted by hunters.

A Montana photographer on Friday shared footage showing dozens of bison stampeding toward Yellowstone National Park after apparently being targeted by tribal hunters.

A description on Elizabeth Aluck’s Facebook reel reads: “Bison running back into Yellowstone National Park after being shot at by hunters.” (Click here to view the reel.)

The footage, posted on the Yellowstone Critters page, was captured in mid-February near Gardiner, just north of the park. Aluck told FTW Outdoors that she saw hunters shooting at bison and subsequently followed the herd for about 15 minutes as it ran toward the park.

A second Reel showing the beginning of the stampede also was posted to her Yellowstone Critters page. (Aluck privately shared several clips with FTW Outdoors that showed hunters shooting, and wounded bison limping. She said she did not want such graphic content on her public page.)

On Friday, she added: “Hunters are all over town right now, and will be all weekend.”

Montana’s general bison season closed Feb. 15. But Native American tribes, which enjoy traditional hunting rights, operate within their own system of guidelines.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, several tribes “have demonstrated their aboriginal right to hunt bison in Montana near Yellowstone National Park under treaties that were negotiated with the U.S. Government.

“These are legal hunting rights, and tribes hunt during seasons and under regulations established through their own regulatory processes. At times, these hunts may occur outside of Montana’s regulated hunting seasons.”

The hunts are controversial, in part because bison are sometimes shot soon after crossing the park boundary toward winter foraging areas such as the Gardiner Basin. (Hunting inside the park is illegal.)

The harvest for 2022-23 exceeded 800 animals as of March 3.

It’s worth noting that the park anticipated a significant cull this winter because so many bison were expected to migrate outside of the park in search of grass, posing potential problems.

To be sure, management of Yellowstone National Park bison is highly complex. The park boasted a population of about 6,000 bison before the 2022-23 hunting seasons began.

–Image showing bison running toward Yellowstone National Park is courtesy of Elizabeth Aluck

Take a look at Joe Montana’s Super Bowl memories

After Montana’s memorable career at Notre Dame that came to a thrilling end with a miracle comeback win versus Houston in the Cotton Bowl, Montana led the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories and was considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all-time when he retired.

Before there was Tom Brady there was the professional quarterback that he grew up idolizing: none other than [autotag]Joe Montana[/autotag] of the San Francisco 49ers.

With the countdown to the Super Bowl on, please enjoy a look back at Joe Montana at those four Super Bowls as well as a couple of appearances he’s made in and around the big game since retiring.

Tag: Montana