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Two grizzly bears have ventured into unfamiliar territory in Chouteau County; last week there were unconfirmed reports of the bears along the Teton River, but on Tuesday night they made their way closer to the Missouri River, rummaging through the property of a Floweree area resident along the way.

Shannon Walker said, "I was on the computer and I heard the dog barking. I looked out the window and I didn't see anything but she kept barking and barking."

Walker says that's unlike her dog Willow, who had her tail tucked between her legs. Walker then stepped outside to spot some unlikely visitors about 100 feet away: two grizzly bears, frolicking through a pig pen.

Walker noted, "I can't tell you what came out of my mouth, but it just stunned me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing." The bears knocked down a fence before taking off north; Walker said, "They went down into that coulee then the next thing that I saw them is they came up out of the coulee into the wheat field."

That's when a relative snapped a photo and Walker phoned the sheriff and game warden. As she continued watching the bears, Walker recalled, "They were chasing each other and they'd stand up and bat at each other."

While it was a unique experience, Walker's top priority was the safety of nearby people; she said, "We did let the people of Carter know it was headed their way 'cause people...there's a lady there that has horses and another one that raises a bunch of dogs and children...we're not used to bears on the prairie."

The bears have not been spotted since Walker's encounter on Tuesday night, but MT FWP figures the bears are between Floweree and Fort Benton.

The bears have not caused any problems, but, if they stay in one spot, they will likely be captured and re-located.

(June 9, 2010) Our on-air report during the Wednesday 5:30 newscast about two grizzly bears spotted near Floweree got the attention of nearby resident Emy Rominger, who quickly sent us an e-mail with a picture of the bears.

Emy wrote that the two bears were on her property on Tuesday night, and then went over to a neighbors 'pig shed' and began to tear it apart.

She added that a game warden was called in, but the bears managed to escape.

(First report, 11:27 a.m.) A pair of grizzly bears has been sighted near the Missouri River between Great Falls and Fort Benton. Mike Martin of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks noted, “They have not caused any problems. But we want people out recreating or living in the area to be observant.”

There were rumors in early June of the grizzlies on the Teton River north of Great Falls, but eyewitness accounts and physical evidence this week have confirmed the bears’ presence.

The bears were seen Tuesday near the crossroads of Floweree, and were later spotted traveling down Black Coulee toward the Missouri River.

If the bears stay in one spot, FWP will try to capture and relocate them.

Last year in June, a grizzly wandered down the Teton; it was captured and relocated as it neared Loma, about 100 miles east of Rocky Mountain Front.

Click here to learn more about grizzly bears on the FWP website.

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