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ALBERTON- A dead elk hanging up in an Alberton man's backyard attracted a black bear and two cubs, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials. And after the bear and the man's dogs got into a fight, the man shot and killed the bear.

FWP Region 2 Bear Manager Jamie Jonkel says sometime after dark on Friday night the man let his dogs outside when they got mixed up with the sow black bear. The man went outside with a shotgun to break up the bear and the dogs.

Jonkel says in the scuffle the man was either scratched or bitten in the stomach, whether by a dog or the bear, it's unknown. He added two cubs were orphaned in the incident and will be transported to the Helena rehabilitation center.

FWP officials want to use this incident as a reminder that this time of year, bears are coming down into lower elevations looking for food and it's important to properly store and dispose of attractants like apples, garbage, and carcasses.