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As bears start leaving their winter dens, Montana wildlife officials are asking people to take extra precautions to stay safe and prevent conflicts.
Morgan Jacobsen, information and education program manager with Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 3, says rising temperatures and food availability drives bears to emerge from hibernation.
“As we head into March, it’s really important to keep that awareness that bears are going to start becoming more active on the landscape in the coming weeks and months,” Jacobson said.
Jacobsen says male bears emerge in early March, followed by females without newborn cubs between late March and early April. Females with newborn cubs will leave anytime from mid April and early May.