26 Montana Grizzly Bear Deaths by September 2025; 4-6 Defensive Shootings

Image of grizzly bear  by Troy Nemitz, used with permission.   

Montana has created a web page to track grizzly bear deaths in the state. The page is administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP). Mortalities on Tribal lands are not included in the FWP  bear mortality data base. From krtv.com:

The site displays mortality information, including the various factors that contribute to grizzly bear deaths in Montana, outside of Tribal lands.

Four grizzly bears have been killed in defense of self and others so far in 2025. Two incidents may be defensive, but are still under investigation.

FWP estimates there are about 2000 grizzly bears in Montana, as of Sept, 2024. Montana has more than half the grizzly bears in the contiguous 48 states.

Between Montana’s portion of all four recovery zones and other areas where grizzly bears have established populations, FWP estimates that there are about 2,000 grizzly bears in Montana.

The four incidents occurred on May 21 at Choteau, June 3rd at Lake County, June 11th at Blaine County, and June 30 in Choteau. They are all listed as Defense of Life incidents by Montana FWP.

An April 10, 2025, incident is still listed as “under investigation”. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service investigates grizzly bear killings in the contiguous 48 states.  From MT Fish,Wildlife, and Parks:

Like many Montanans do this time of year, a man was shed hunting in north-central Montana near Dupuyer on Friday. The man was searching for antlers on a brushy hillside when he first saw a bear. As he was leaving
the area, the bear charged him at close range. He shot and killed the bear. Fortunately, the man was uninjured.

The bear was an adult female in good condition with no history of conflict, and was estimated to be 13 years old and weighing about 250 pounds.

The May 21 case happened near Choteau, Montana. The area is a hot spot for grizzly bear attacks. The Choteau incident was covered at AmmoLand:

At 30 yards, the bear put her ears back and charged. Justin and John drew their pistols and started firing. John was on Justin’s right, about 10 feet away. He was armed with a 1911-style .45 ACP. Justin had a Glock 20 chambered in 10 mm. John fired five shots, Justin fired three shots.

 Justin said, “the bear looked as big as an elephant coming toward us.”

Justin believed bear spray would have been useless because of the variable wind. Justin was using a mix of Federal full metal jacketed and hollow point rounds in the Glock, while John was using his .45 ACP.

At about 20 yards, the bear, obviously hit, veered to Justin’s side and out of sight, moving north.

The June 3rd incident involved a homeowner.  From xlcountry.com:

According to Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks report, a grizzly bear charged a landowner near their home in Condon and Seeley Lake. The incident happened the night of June 3, when the landowner said he heard noises outside.

The noises were coming from their livestock, their dogs—and a grizzly. When the man went to check on the animals, the bear charged. He fired in response, killing the bear. Just like the other incidents this year, the person involved walked away unharmed. 

The June 11 incident also involved a homeowner. From krtv.com:

GREAT FALLS — Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks reports that a man shot and killed a grizzly bear that was threatening him on the northeast side of the Bears Paw Mountains south of Havre on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

The agency said the man heard a disturbance with his dogs and when he opened the door to his porch, he encountered the bear and shot it.

The June 30 killing of a grizzly bear near Choteau, Montana is listed as a self defense killing. This correspondent has not found any details about the incident.

The July 10th incident is listed as “under investigation”.  As reported by the Fairfield Sun Times:

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, a landowner along Foothill Road east of Kalispell shot and killed a grizzly bear on July 10, after he discovered the bear getting into a chicken coop.

The bear approached the landowner, according to an FWP press release, when he shot and killed the animal. The man was uninjured in the encounter.

Twenty other grizzly bear deaths are recorded at the Montana web page as of September 2025. Nine were killed in vehicle accidents. Eight were killed as management actions by government agents. Two were killed in incidents of mistaken identification by black bear hunters. Cause of death could not be determined for one bear.

In a given year, about 77 grizzly bear deaths are recorded in the 48 contiguous states.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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