Bear struck, killed by car near Volborg

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 has received some inquiries about a black bear that was struck and killed by a vehicle near Volborg recently.

According to FWP Warden Kyle Queer of Broadus, a larger male bear weighing in at 185 pounds was struck by a small vehicle on Highway 59 South around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 18. The impact disabled the vehicle, but there were no injuries to passengers. The bear was killed on impact.

“It was a rather large bear,” Queer said.

Queer responded to the incident just inside of Powder River County, collected the bear, weighed it and extracted a tooth for aging purposes. Bear fatalities are entered into a state database. The bear measured just under six feet in length.

Region 7 has seen increased black bear activity this spring and summer. Bears also may be out and about more in coming weeks as they up their food intake ahead of winter. People are advised to secure any bear attractants to avoid encounters with the animals, who can become conditioned by easy access to food and lose their natural fear of humans. If you see a bear in close proximity to people, please contact Fish, Wildlife & Parks at 406-234-0900 or 1-800-TIP-MONT.