FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montana Communities Must Step Up as Bear Deaths Mount
Red Lodge and Lincoln called out after unsecured garbage, chicken coops, and intentional feeding drive at least 11 bear killings in 2026
September 16, 2026
MISSOULA––– At least 11 bears, including both grizzly and black bears, have been killed in 2026 by wildlife managers in two Montana communities alone. Red Lodge and Lincoln, Montana, are not the only areas where bears face unprecedented risks this year, but unsecured food, unprotected garbage, and confirmed cases of people intentionally feeding bears have led to too many bears being killed because of human carelessness.
“We pull the trigger, but the community loads the gun,” said one bear manager. A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear management specialist said feeding a bear on purpose is “downright evil, and at best stupid.” https://montanaindependent.substack.com/p/red-lodge-residents-behavior-loading
“We hear a lot about problem bears,” said Mary Price, Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, “but it’s time to talk about who is actually creating the problem.”
In 2026, there have been 201 incidents involving bears within 15 miles of Red Lodge. Most were related to human-foods and garbage and many bears became “habituated” – a serious safety risk for people and bears alike. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, managers have killed seven black bears and two grizzlies in the area this year, with seven of those close to or within Red Lodge city limits.
A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear management specialist said Red Lodge ranks among the worst communities in Montana for bear conflict. https://montanaindependent.substack.com/p/bear-conflicts-more-than-double-in
In Lincoln, two grizzlies were killed after repeatedly gaining access to unsecured food, garbage, and unprotected chicken coops. Both bears had drawn a local following on Facebook, with videos of them walking through the streets.
Despite the efforts of bear managers and other agency staff, bears continued coming into contact with human food sources –– a pattern that ends the same way almost every time.
"The bottom line is simple: a fed bear is a dead bear," wildlife consultant Mike Bader said. "And too many mortalities mean grizzly bears can't come off the threatened species list."
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reports a poor year for natural bear foods, including huckleberries and chokecherries, pushing hungry bears toward towns in search of calories.
To their credit, Red Lodge officials are working to improve the situation. The town council has required bear-resistant containers and is mandating them at construction sites. They are considering additional actions.
No community fixes this overnight, and none has fixed it for good. Seeley Lake and Potomac have both lost bears of their own and continue to see conflicts, but sustained community action has driven real improvement. Potomac joined the Missoula Bear Buffer Zone, which requires residents to secure garbage, food, dog food, and grills, and conflicts there have dropped sharply as a result. Virginia City took a similar path and in 2024 became Montana's first town recognized as a "Bear Smart Community" by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Other towns across the state are now pursuing that same recognition.
“Bears are a critical natural resource, and of course human safety comes first,” said Price. “But in most cases, we can protect people while helping bears move on and stay wild. We’re urging the leadership of the Red Lodge and Lincoln communities to act now.” Tools already exist to address these issues, the groups noted, including electric fencing for chickens and livestock and bear-resistant garbage containers.
“Community members who live in wildlife-rich areas can enjoy the landscape and take responsibility to curtail wildlife/human conflicts. Relying upon state or federal agencies is not a sustainable solution. It is everyone's responsibility to become involved, to take action, to instill the most effective, yet harmless policies and practices possible in deterring wildlife,” said Clint Nagel, President of the Gallatin Wildlife Association.
The organizations are Save the Yellowstone Grizzly, Livingston; Gallatin Wildlife Association, Bozeman; WildEarth Guardians, Missoula; Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Helena; Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, Missoula; Yaak Valley Forest Council, Troy. They are joined by Cecilia Mink, Whitefish; Mike Bader, wildlife consultant, Missoula.
Media Contacts:
Clinton Nagel, Gallatin Wildlife Association, 406-600-1792, clint_nagel@yahoo.com
Mike Garrity, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, 406-459-5936, wildrockies@gmail.com
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