Montana

FWP: Increased bear activity seen Missoula, Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2023

FWP: Increased bear activity seen Missoula, Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys

MISSOULA — State wildlife officials say they have received an increasing number of reports of bears in the Missoula, Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys this week.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says people to be “bear aware” as bears are extra active this time of year — especially in lower elevations — where they can find more food as the animals get ready for winter. FWP is advising people to be extra cautious when outdoors and put away all items that attract bears around our homes and neighborhoods, such as garbage and bird feeders.

According to a new release, most of the bears being reported in the valley bottoms of Western Montana over the last few weeks have been black bears.

FWP also notes that black bears are not always black in color, and several seen recently in the Missoula and Bitterroot areas have lighter coats, which has led to misidentification. For example, several black bears seen and photographed near Stevensville have light fur and have been confused with grizzly bears.
Additionally, several lighter-colored black bears have been reported in near Greenough Park in Missoula. FWP notes that no grizzlies have been confirmed in the Rattlesnake area in recent weeks.

There is one confirmed grizzly bear spending time in the northern Bitterroot Valley right now. FWP says the bear was first documented in early August when it was “incidentally captured” as part of a Bitterroot black bear research study and has remained in the area since. The grizzly has been spotted several times between Lolo and Florence.

While FWP reports the bear hasn’t been involved in any conflicts but has found apple trees in a few locations, including at least one tree near a home. Picking apples and collecting those apples that have already fallen, especially on trees near homes, is the most reliable strategy against preventing conflicts with humans, FWP advises.

Multiple black bears in the Bitterroot have been finding garbage, in addition to fruit trees and other attractants. Wildlife officials note that bears in the Bitterroot Valley often have a hard time staying to natural foods because of the magnitude of attractants available to them,

FWP reports black bears —and several grizzlies — have been regularly looking for food in and around homes in the Blackfoot Valley near Potomac.

Unsecured garbage is the key issue in keeping bears in the area, the release states. People should set out their garbage just before collection, or use bear-resistant garbage cans, which are available from local garbage collection companies.

“Bears are in hyperphagia right now and will continue to come down into our valleys over the next month, looking for food as they prepare for winter, so it’s an extra critical time to keep everything picked up around our houses,” said FWP bear management specialist Jamie Jonkel. “Given the number of bears in these areas, it really is up to each of us to take preventative measures to stay safe. If there’s an unsecured food item out there, it is best to assume that a bear will find it.”

The website, missoulabears.org provides information from area partners on how to keep property bear-resistant and also provides a spot to track recent wildlife activity and report attractant issues and wildlife sightings.

FWP offers the following tips to secure attractants and increase safety this fall.

How to avoid attracting bears to your property:

Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Certified bear-resistant cans are available in many areas.
Bears are attracted to fruit-bearing trees and bushes, gardens and compost piles. Electric fencing can be effective at deterring bears as well as routinely picking fallen and ripe fruit.
Never feed wildlife. Any food left out can attract bears, and bears that become food-conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed wildlife in Montana.
Secure livestock (chickens, goats, sheep) with an electric fence whenever possible.

Tips for recreating in bear country:

Carry bear spray close at hand and know how to use it.
Travel in groups whenever possible.
Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility is limited. This can be the key to avoiding encounters. Most bears will avoid humans when they know they are present.
If you are attacked by a bear and you are without a deterrent or the deterrent hasn’t worked, stay face down on the ground, protecting your face and neck with your arms. Stay still until you’re certain the bear has moved away.
Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers.
Watch for signs of bears such as scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses.
Don’t approach a bear.

For more information on being “bear aware”, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 17, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 17, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 17 drawing

08-10-37-54-69, Mega Ball: 22, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 17 drawing

01-04-06-09-46, Lucky Ball: 04

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 17 drawing

05-15-25-26, Bonus: 04

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

94-year-old Iowa-based trucking company closes terminal in Montana

Published

11 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

94-year-old Iowa-based trucking company closes terminal in Montana

Family-owned Decker Truck Line Inc. of Fort Dodge, Iowa, confirmed that it has permanently closed its terminal in Missoula, Montana, citing findings from a thorough review of its operations and freight network as the main reason for the closure.

“This decision was not made lightly, but it is necessary due to the changing freight network patterns and the associated costs of operating a full terminal that is not being utilized sufficiently,” CEO Dale Decker said in a statement Tuesday about the closure.

As many as 18 positions were eliminated at the Missoula terminal, according to NBC Montana.

Decker said a small group of drivers was also affected by the closure but added that the company will continue to utilize truck drivers in Montana to haul freight.

The trucking company said it plans to work with employees of the now-shuttered terminal to “explore relocation options” if they want to stay with Decker Truck Line.

“As our business continues to grow, our focus will shift more towards core regions. This strategy aims to enhance density in our well-established areas,” Decker said. “However, we will continue to require drivers residing in the Montana area, but we no longer consider it a strategic advantage for having a terminal in Missoula along with the associated overhead costs.”

The 94-year-old trucking company has around 790 company drivers and the same number of power units. It hauls general freight, refrigerated food and building materials, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SAFER website.

Besides its home terminal in Fort Dodge, which has approximately 190 employees, Decker Truck Line operates terminals in Mediapolis, Iowa; Bessemer, Alabama; and Hammond, Indiana, as well as a maintenance facility in Des Moines, according to the company’s website.

“Although this location no longer offers sufficient value to warrant a terminal, expansion in other regions may prompt new investments in areas that do provide clear benefit to our network,” Decker said.

Do you have a news tip or story to share? Send Clarissa Hawes an email or message @cage_writer on X, formerly known as Twitter. Your name will not be used without your permission.

Why fight a 'clean and healthful' environment when it's good for all Montanans? • Daily Montanan

Published

19 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Why fight a 'clean and healthful' environment when it's good for all Montanans? • Daily Montanan

Montanans are witnessing an inexplicably vicious attack on the ruling by the state’s Supreme Court that the plain language of the constitution guarantees “a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.”

What we haven’t heard is why a dirty and unhealthful environment is good for anybody — or the future of our state.

Truly, why would anyone think they or their kids or grandkids would be better off with a degraded and toxic environment? Yet, the court’s decision has sparked a misguided rebellion against the environmental laws that protect all Montanans — and an attack on the judiciary as if it’s some kind of enemy of the people.

But it seems pretty clear that enemies of the people don’t rule to protect the people. And ensuring that the laws passed by the Legislature comply with the Montana Constitution is the primary job of the Montana Supreme Court. It’s the foundational checks-and-balances upon which our system of government relies to ensure the executive and legislative branches stay within constitutional mandates to preserve the rights of the people.

Making war on the environment is a dead-end street — which we’re increasingly finding out as the tragedies driven by atmospheric pollution stack up along with the hundreds of billions of dollars to deal with the aftermath. So, where’s the wisdom in deciding to protect polluters at the cost to the rest of the populace?

How about this little truth: Pollution does not discriminate between Republicans and Democrats, nor Independents, Libertarians, or any other organizational clusters regardless of what they call themselves. Nor does polluted air or water recognize any boundaries — we all need clean air and water, which is not only a shared resource, but a shared responsibility to provide those vital necessities to nourish, not poison, our people.

The fact is, we have many good environmental and conservation laws on the books that serve all our people well. There’s simply no good reason why one political party or another should be against those laws, none at all.

Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes of the “environmental movement” was attaching itself at the hip with the Democratic Party. Yet, in Montana’s history, it has often been Democrat governors who have been responsible for some of the worst environmental decisions.

In the mid-1980s, Democrat Gov. Ted Schwinden cut the coal severance tax in half to supposedly make Montana competitive with Wyoming. He succeeded in losing hundreds of millions of dollars for the Coal Tax Trust Fund, but it didn’t save the coal industry because distance to market was the deciding factor.

Democrat Gov. Brian Schweitzer morphed into the “Coal Cowboy” within one year of taking office. His mission? Save the coal industry by peddling economically ridiculous proposals for coal-to-liquids when fracking was producing record amounts of cheap oil and gas.

Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock allowed radioactive waste from the Bakken fracking operations to be disposed of in Montana’s landfills — because it’s illegal to do so in North Dakota.

Of course Republicans have their own rogue’s list of bad decisions and policies — but there’s not room in one column to cover all those.

There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever why a clean environment should be partisan. The great attractions of Montana are our clean rivers, our blue skies, and an abundance of fish and wildlife that are the envy of the nation and world. The Constitution plainly states: “The state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana” — and that’s a legacy worth upholding.

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