An adult female with no history of conflict is the first grizzly bear to die this year in a fatal encounter with a human, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reported on Monday.

The encounter occurred outside Dupuyer, on the Rocky Mountain Front, last Friday while a man was hunting for shed antlers on a brushy hillside, according to a release from FWP.

After the man first witnessed the bear, he began to leave the area when the sow charged him at close range. He shot and killed the bear, FWP said.

The shed hunter was not injured.

FWP officials confirmed the man was not carrying bear spray at the time of the encounter.

The bear that was killed was estimated to be 13 years old and weighed around 250 pounds. The sow had a single yearling cub that was found on-site, unharmed. FWP says no management action will be taken for the yearling.

According to the Montana grizzly bear mortality dashboard hosted by FWP, this is the first fatal bear encounter of 2025.

Be bear aware

Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year.

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.

Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.

Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.

Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.

If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.

Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.

Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.