‘Bear Aware’ Education and Demos Coming to Hamilton

When you meet up with a bear in the wilds, what do you do? The "Bear Aware" educational trailer will be in Hamilton May 23 for a day of demonstrations and an evening bear safety lecture. Topics include how to carry and use bear spray, how to read bear behavior and more. Experts will be at the trailer from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., explaining the details and also running the remote-controlled Charging Bear demonstration to show how and when to discharge bear spray. According to Tod McKay of the Bitterroot National Forest, the demonstrations will be at the Forest Supervisor's Office at 1801 North First in Hamilton. The free event will have half-hour talks at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

In the evening, at 6 p.m., a 90-minute detailed bear safety lecture is planned inside the Forest Service office, with topics including bear biology, behavior, attractants, camping, bear encounters and more. A can of bear spray will be a door prize. The program is presented by the Montana Bear Education Working Group - a coalition of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Management Institute and the group People & Carnivores.