If you live in Montana, especially near the mountains, you already know: bears are just part of the deal. But with more grizzlies roaming into new areas, encounters are becoming a more frequent occurrence.

READ MORE: Another Grizzly Killed In Montana, Man Survives Attack

On the night of July 10, a landowner east of Kalispell near Foothill Road heard a ruckus outside. Turns out, a grizzly bear had decided the man’s chicken coop was a late-night snack stop. When the homeowner stepped outside to check it out, the bear didn’t back off—instead, it charged him. The man fired and killed the bear. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is now looking into the incident.

This isn’t just a one-off. Bear activity has been popping up all across Montana this year. In fact, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks just rolled out a new Bear Conflict Dashboard, an online map that tracks bear encounters in real time. And let me tell ya, it's been active.

So far in 2025, there have already been 65 grizzly-related incidents, including:

• 20 close human encounters
• 5 cases of agricultural damage
• 23 livestock kills
• 7 cases of property damage

And with more bears comes more conflict—this incident brings the total number of grizzly deaths in the state this year to 13.

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Montana FWP continues to push the message: stay alert, carry bear spray, and always be bear aware. Because in Montana, sometimes the wild really does walk right into your backyard.