Two grizzly bears were killed by hunters near Seeley Lake on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, after the animals approached them while they were retrieving a harvested mule deer.
The incident occurred on the Pyramid Pass Trail just east of Seeley Lake when three grizzly bears quickly approached two hunters who had shot a deer, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
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"They saw three bears that were approaching them pretty quickly as they went to retrieve the deer," said FWP spokeswoman Vivaca Crowser.
The hunters attempted to deter the bears by waving and yelling, but the animals continued to approach.
The hunters ultimately shot at the bears, killing two of them while a third bear ran away.
"They believe that they shot two of them and that one ran away and we were able to verify that later this week," Crowser said.
FWP assisted the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in investigating the incident. When officials visited the site, they confirmed finding the remains of two bears.
Crowser acknowledged that bear safety practices can be more challenging to implement while hunting compared to other outdoor activities.
"Some of those things we say with bear safety are just harder to do when you're hunting, right? You're being quiet, you're often in places where there's less visibility," Crowser said.
FWP recommends hunters travel in groups, as bear encounters are less common in those scenarios. The agency also strongly encourages carrying bear spray.
"Make sure you have it somewhere where it's easy to grab, that you have either practiced with some inert spray or you've watched a video so you know how to use it, so you know how to remove that safety and then don't hesitate to use it in a case where you feel threatened by a bear, that's really effective," Crowser said.
FWP tips for hunting and recreating in bear country
- Carry bear spray close at hand and know how to use it.
- Make noise to alert bears of your presence and travel and hunt in groups when possible.
- Be extra cautious around creeks, and in areas with limited visibility. Most attacks happen in surprise, close encounters.
- Watch for signs of bears such as scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses, and be extra aware or avoid these areas.
- Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears. If field dressing an animal, bring what is needed to remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible and have bear spray close at hand.
- If you need to leave the meat in the field during retrieval, hang it at least 10 feet of the ground and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.
- Upon your return, observe with binoculars first. Make noise when approaching, and if anything has been disturbed by a bear, leave and call FWP.
Visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware for more information on living, working, and recreating in bear country.
