Since the weather doesn't want to get its act in gear to let us know that spring has arrived I guess we'll just have to rely on the fact that bear sightings are becoming more of an occurrence. With the animals finding their way out of hibernation, here are three bear encounter stories that I've seen in just the last week.

Return of the "tourons"

I think by now we all know the term touron is made up of a combination of the words tourist and moron and is a title usually given to those that don't respect the boundaries when it comes to how far of a distance you should keep from wildlife. It didn't take long into the season for visitors at Yellowstone National Park to be filmed getting dangerously close to a massive grizzly bear. Thankfully, nothing spooked the bear or things could have ended up in a much more unfortunate way.

Is it still squatting if the unwanted company is sleeping?

This didn't happen in Montana but it's pretty wild. A tv station shared a story about a California woman recently finding five bears hibernating under her house! She heard noises and decided to investigate. That's when she found a mama bear and four cubs enjoying a little peaceful slumber. A local organization came out to wake the bears and they eventually made their way into the woods. The woman didn't realize they had been under her home for four months! Can you imagine making that discovery?

Photo: Daniele Levis Pelusi via Unsplash
Photo: Daniele Levis Pelusi via Unsplash
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Did they think this was Goldilock's house?

In a story that's making news today, a family in St. Ignatius captured the video below that features a few grizzly bears snooping around their property. These three bears didn't seem to be concerned with porridge, chairs, and beds, but they did wander around for about 45 minutes and come to within about 20 yards of the house. The homeowners say they've lived there for more than 30 years and have never seen grizzlies get so close.

Our weather has been a little crazy and it's making for a bit of a slower end to hibernation this year. Make sure to stay alert and be bear aware out there!

6 Ways To Make Sure You're 'Bear Aware' in Montana

The population of grizzly bears in Montana has grown in recent years. Here's are a few ways to practice being bear aware when you venture into Montana's wilderness.

U.S. Marshals Most Wanted in Montana. Have You Seen These Guys?

The US Marshals are the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the nation, founded in 1789. Over 3,500 deputy marshals and investigators currently work for the agency around the country, operating under the arm of the US Department of Justice. According to the US Marshals Service 2022 Fact Sheet, their duties include,
Protecting the federal judiciary, apprehending federal fugitives, managing and selling seized assets acquired by criminals through illegal activities, housing and transporting federal prisoners and operating the Witness Security Program.
The Montana district for the Marshals is headquartered in Billings and they frequently assist or lead local law enforcement agencies in the apprehension of fugitives across the state. Their Montana "Most Wanted" list includes these three men, who are wanted for various reasons. Read on.

10 Best Steakhouses in Montana

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