Journalism Story

Steam emanates from the panting Bart Morris as he lifts a bale of hay from a stack. The sounds of crunching snow underfoot and the running of cows intermingle as he hauls the hay across the pasture.

He is not currently on his primary ranch lands but instead in his backyard where he keeps only a small number of cattle. The calves that are sick, elderly, or runts are kept here to ensure they receive better care.

He still must worry about the bears, and Morris knows all too well the impact that grizzly bears can have on a rancher’s livelihood.

Morris gets quiet momentarily as he gazes at the tree-lined hills around his south Missoula ranch home. He says, almost under his breath, “They’re moving in, no doubt about it.”

Morris, a former wildlife biologist in Wyoming, uses his knowledge to protect his ranch’s cattle from bears. He believes that the rest of the valley should learn these skills too.

“We’ve always had black bears but when we first started the ranch in 2014, we didn’t have grizzlies on any of our land,” Morris said. “Here in the last three years, we’ve had Grizzlies right there in the river bottom.” 

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent initiative to artificially transplant grizzly bears to the Bitterroot Ecosystem has made them a popular subject in the Five Valleys.

Whether the initiative passes in time for its October 2026 deadline or not, one thing is clear. “We, as a community, have to change our habits and prepare,” Morris said.

Jamie Jonkel is a bear manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks with well over 30 years of experience working with these grizzly bears.

“The bears are coming down on their own and don’t need any help from us,” Jonkel said.   

Grizzly bears have thrived during Jonkel’s time in western Montana, and he doesn’t see their population growth slowing down.

 “We’ve seen recolonization in the Boulder Mountains, around the Missoula area and we’ve even had grizzly bears showing up in the Bitterroot Valley,” Jonkel said.

            Jonkel explains that the grizzly bears’ habitat is “growing like an ink blotter”, and the best course of action is for humans to change their habits to avoid danger.

            “What they attack is garbage cans,” Jonkel said. “That’s where we see most of our interactions, because of all the garbage, the bird feeders, freezers on back porches and chicken feed stored in plastic containers next to chicken coops.”

            Juanita Vero is a Missoula County Commissioner for the 1^st district and 4^th generation ranch owner.

“We’re trying to become bear aware and to have a requirement of bear-resistant dumpsters,” Vero said.

            According to Vero, local conservationist organizations are also involved in discouraging bears from interfering with cattle production in the area.

“We’re working with groups, helping ranchers put up fladry around the cattle yards,” Vero said. “We started a carcass pickup program. All the carcasses are now moved off the ranches and composted so they’re not bringing in bears.”

            Jonkel agrees that the best way to deal with the growing grizzly population is education and limiting the attractants that bring the bears into populated areas.

            According to Jonkel, educating individuals is 90% of his job. “We’re getting people to do things differently to limit the number of attractants at homes, ranches and in communities so that the bears aren’t being sucked in,” Jonkel said.

            Jonkel also offered advice for the ever-growing number of citizens and visitors that use the vast number of public trail systems throughout Montana.

            “We’re telling folks to expect to see grizzlies anywhere in western Montana. You better have some bear spray and keep your eyes peeled,” Jonkel said.

            Jonkel emphasizes the importance of being aware of your surroundings in the wilderness and avoiding distractions.

“In grizzly country, every 20-30 feet, you need to kind of stop and pause for a minute,” Jonkel said. “You look down the ridge, you look up the ridge and you look down the trail.”

Despite the measures taken by the county and state to keep the bears from intruding upon ranches and populated areas, Morris is unconvinced of the need to bring more of them into the Bitterroot.

“I understand they want connectivity between the Glacier and Yellowstone recovery zones, but it’s happening naturally,” Morris said. “We don’t have to speed this up.”

According to Morris, grizzly bears have menaced his ranch in the past, tearing through bags of salt and feed. He fears that, with the growth of the bears in the Bitterroot, it could affect his livelihood.

“If you lose one animal, that is 10 heads worth of margin. With 10 animals, you’re at 100 heads of margin,” Jonkel said. “That really starts to black you, so it’s a big deal.” If you encounter a grizzly bear, contact Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: (406) 542 5500

Bart Morris walks amongst the cattle on his south Missoula ranch. Local citizens are learning how to coexist with grizzly bears. Photo by Jason Laughlin

Bear warning signs dot the neighborhoods on the east side of Missoula. Local citizens are learning how to coexist with grizzly bears in response to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service initiative to transplant the bears in the Bitterroot Ecosystem. Photo by Jason Laughlin

Bear Precautions. Source: USDA, Forest Service