Montana
Grizzly Shot, Killed After Charging Mushroom Pickers Near Montana Prairie Town
A grizzly was shot and killed after it charged two men who were picking mushrooms near Choteau, Montana, late Wednesday.
Choteau is in the part of Montana where grizzlies have increasingly been reclaiming their natural prairie habitat.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), two landowners were picking mushrooms about a mile north of Choteau on Wednesday night when they were charged by an adult female grizzly bear.
The men shot and killed the bear at close range, according to FWP. The men were not injured.
An FWP report identified the men as “John” and “Justin,” without giving their last names. Messages sent Friday from Cowboy State Daily to FWP officials were not returned.
More Grizzly Trouble In Montana
Grizzly trouble isn’t unfamiliar in Montana, including in areas that were, until recently, not occupied by bears.
In April, two anglers fended off a grizzly with gunfire at Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Montana.
It wasn’t known if any of the shots hit the bear, and the anglers were unharmed, according to FWP reports.
In fall 2023, there were two run-ins between hunters and grizzlies in the Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area. It’s between the small towns of Choteau and Fairfield, Montana, about 40 miles west of Great Falls.
After one incident in which a bird hunter fired his shotgun at a grizzly, a Montana wildlife official told Cowboy State Daily that he found a shotgun wad with some grizzly hair in it, but no blood.
Wildlife agents later used drones and a helicopter to search for the bear “about 4miles in each direction,” but found nothing, said Chad White, a bear management specialist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. That means the bear probably wasn’t seriously hurt.
In another incident, a grizzly tried to claim the carcass of a whitetail buck that an archery hunter had just killed.
The bear ran away when the hunter and an FWP agent drove up to the scene in the agent’s pickup. That gave them enough time to toss the deer carcass into the truck’s bed and leave.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 11 drawing
16-19-22-34-46, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 11 drawing
21-22-26-31, Bonus: 04
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing
09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing
42-45-46-48-56, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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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