BOZEMAN — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) researchers are conducting important grizzly bear monitoring in the Madison Valley, where the animals roam between the Gravelly Mountains and Madison Range.
The research focuses on tracking bear movements and collecting genetic samples to better understand the growing grizzly population in southwestern Montana.
"The way that it works is we use natural food sources to attract bears to a location where we can either take genetic samples or we can trap and collar grizzly bears in that area," FWP spokesman Morgan Jacobsen said.
Watch: Montana researchers track grizzly bears to monitor population and movement patterns
The collaring program allows researchers to track multiple aspects of grizzly behavior, including distribution, range, and hibernation patterns.
Meanwhile, genetic testing builds upon years of similar research conducted in other parts of Montana.
"As we're getting closer to the time when genetic exchange between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem will happen, it's important to monitor that," Jacobsen said.
This summer's research in the Madison Valley mountains continues years of ongoing grizzly studies that have provided valuable data to state and federal agencies about bear populations in southwestern Montana.
"This research has been going on for a long time. This is building on a good catalog of information and research that has helped us understand grizzly bear populations, grizzly bear distributions in southwestern Montana," Jacobsen said.
The current trapping and research effort will conclude later this week.
Findings will be compiled with decades of previous studies, and similar research will continue next summer in another part of bear country.
