From Deseret News archives:

Grizzly managers in Montana trap big bruin

Published: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 12:35 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — State bear managers seeking to capture and collar female grizzly bears as part of a population count recently trapped a 7 foot, 6 inch male grizzly that weighed 750 pounds after a winter of hibernation.

Mike Madel, bear management specialist with the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said it took two scales and a hydraulic crane to weigh the 8-year-old bruin that had 3 1/2-inch claws and a neck circumference of 4 feet.

"This bear was just a beautiful bear," Madel said.

Madel said the big male with the bronze head, golden back and dark chocolate legs could weigh as much as 900 pounds by the fall.

"This is really a large male," he said. In fact, it is the second-largest male grizzly ever recorded in the Northern Rockies Region, Madel said.

Madel captured the bear he dubbed "Big Daddy," on May 24. He was trying to capture female grizzlies near Choteau to fit them with radio collars to track their movements and whether they have cubs.

"We actually were trying to avoid males," Madel said.

But he decided to put a radio collar on the bear to track its range.

Madel said he didn't know the big bear even existed.

"Here's a bear that's down on the Front, and he's accustomed to moving in and around human activity, and he's never caused a conflict before," Madel said.

Story continues below
The average-sized male grizzly along the Rocky Mountain Front is 600 pounds, while females are around 300 to 325 pounds.

Madel, who has been managing bears on the Front for 24 years, wonders if the bear he trapped this spring was sired by the largest male grizzly ever recorded in the Northern Rockies: an 8-foot, 800-plus pound bruin trapped in 2003 in the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area northwest of Choteau.

"This bear," he said, "looked very much like that bear."

Madel collected hair from the 2003 bear, but an Idaho lab lost the samples, making it impossible to know if they're related.

Madel said the younger bear captured this spring hasn't reached its full size.

"He's got some growing to do," Madel said.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

LDS to emphasize helping needy

I hate to burst your bubble Sherlock but Mormons are Christians.

BYU football: NCAA awards

Why is this article titled BYU Football NCAA awards? when there are no YBU...

BCS did TCU a favor?

The BCS must be eliminated in favor of a traditional playoff before anything...

Pitta doesn't win award

What is this even doing in the Mormon Times. I am suprised there is not a tag...

'Priesthood' explores power of faith

Which "Christian tradition" are you referring to? Certainly not the Roman,...

NYC mayor: 'Too many guns'

Anonymous | 3:24 p.m. Your posting was so humorous. How do you define...

just what we need. more people carrying more guns. expect more tragedies.

Bottom line, it is against the law. What is wrong with someone getting a...

Knitting hearts together

I hope the Smithsonian doesn't read this article.

Gun laws becoming more loose

You are obviously confused with math and stuff. Free your mind of all that...

Advertisements