A grizzly was killed during a close encounter near Trego as elevated bear conflicts overlap with Montana’s busy fall hunting seasons
A Montana landowner shot and killed a male grizzly during a close-range encounter near Trego on October 1, adding to a year of elevated grizzly conflicts just as hunters head into some of Montana’s busiest fall seasons.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the landowner went outside after hearing noises and encountered the bear at close range. He shot the bear and was not injured. The grizzly was a radio-collared male that had previously been captured for research. Montana FWP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service responded, and the incident is under investigation.
Grizzly Conflicts Are Up in 2026
The Trego incident is part of a broader increase in grizzly activity and conflicts this year. According to FWP data cited in recent reporting, Montana had recorded 281 grizzly-human conflicts in 2026, compared with 224 during all of 2025. The Trego bear also brought the number of documented grizzly mortalities in the state this year to at least 32.
FWP has said limited availability of some natural foods, including chokecherries, has contributed to increased conflicts. Fall is also the period of hyperphagia, when bears feed heavily to build fat reserves before winter.
That activity increasingly overlaps with hunting. On September 14, an archery hunter was attacked by a grizzly south of Augusta and suffered significant but non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators found a cow carcass about 150 yards from the attack site and concluded the incident was likely a surprise defensive encounter.
What Montana Hunters Should Know
Hunters face some unique risks in bear country because they often move quietly, travel around dawn and dusk, enter thick vegetation and may have harvested animals, gut piles or meat nearby.
FWP recommends carrying bear spray where it can be reached immediately, rather than inside a pack. Hunters should also pay attention to fresh bear sign and use extra caution around carcasses, thick brush and waterways.
After harvesting an elk or deer, hunters should get meat out as quickly as practical. When returning to a carcass or cached meat, approach carefully and look for signs that a bear has been there. If a bear has claimed an animal, hunters should not attempt to drive it away.
Grizzlies also remain active well into Montana’s hunting season. FWP warns that bears can remain active at lower elevations through December, so colder weather should not automatically be treated as the end of grizzly season.
Can a Hunter Shoot a Grizzly in Self-Defense?
Grizzly bears remain federally protected as a threatened species in Montana, and intentionally killing one is generally illegal. However, federal law allows a grizzly to be killed in self-defense or defense of another person.
A defensive killing should be reported to wildlife authorities and can be investigated, as is occurring following the Trego incident.
FWP continues to recommend avoiding surprise encounters and carrying bear spray even when hunters are also carrying firearms.
Hunters can find current safety information and grizzly management updates at the Montana FWP grizzly bear page.
Stay Prepared With Hunterizer
Montana’s fall hunting calendar includes overlapping deer, elk, bear, upland bird, waterfowl and other seasons — often in country where grizzlies may also be present.
The Hunterizer app helps hunters see what they can legally hunt at their location on a specific date, along with hunting districts, season dates, legal weapons, bag limits, shooting hours and other important regulations.
Before heading into the field this fall, check Hunterizer to know what’s open where you’re hunting — and in grizzly country, make bear awareness part of the hunt as well.
