Five grizzlies snared on Montana ranch

State bear managers set foot snares at a cow carcass at a ranch 2 miles south of Dupuyer on Sunday, hoping to nab the grizzly that killed it. They did — along with four other grizzlies. "That was really a surprise," said Mike Madel, a Choteau-based Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks grizzly bear management specialist. The five grizzlies captured at a single site are the most bears managers have ever caught along the Rocky Mountain Front, Madel said. The record previously was four, but that involved a female and three cubs. Madel suspects the most recent capture features a family of three bears and two other unrelated bears. On Saturday, rancher Ron Jones reported an 800- to 1,000-pound cow was killed by a grizzly. Jones ranches 2 miles south of Dupuyer. On Sunday, four foot snares were set near the carcass to try to capture the offending bear or bears. It's common to set multiple snares if females with cubs are known to be area, Madel said, noting a female with cubs had been spotted near the ranch. When authorities returned at daybreak Monday, they were surprised to find a 430-pound male, a two-year-old male, an adult female and one of her cubs in snares — a fifth bear, a second cub of the snared female, was freely roaming the area. The cub running free was darted and captured...GreatFallsTribune