Grizzlies spotted in north-central Montana fields

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- Grizzly bears have been spotted near Brady about 50 miles north of Great Falls -- an area known more for its wide open wheat fields than for the roaming bruins.

Gus Winterrowd said he "wasted the whole morning" watching a pair of young grizzlies in a field on his property near Brady on Saturday. He said it was the first time he had seen a grizzly in the area.

Meanwhile, Byron Grassman, who works at a grain elevator in Collins, saw three bears walking across a wheat field. He said when he heard grizzlies were in the area, he scrambled 140 feet up the elevator to get a look. Using binoculars, he spotted two cubs and a sow walking across the field toward the Teton River.

Wildlife officials say bears on the fringes of the core grizzly ecosystem in north-central Montana are moving into new areas on all sides, but the development is more dramatic east of the Rocky Mountain Front because the country there is so open.

In June, two young grizzlies traveled all the way to Carter northeast of Great Falls. Traps were set, but the bears disappeared.

Another young grizzly that traveled to the Loma area last summer was captured on the plains of Chouteau County after returning in July. It was later euthanized after it killed chickens, the second time it had fed on domestic animals.

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com

Copyright 2010 The AP.