Mushroom foragers kill grizzly bear near Choteau

Two Montana men foraging for mushrooms in the north-central part of the state shot and killed a grizzly bear on May 21, after it reportedly charged them at close range.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the two men were not harmed during the encounter.

The two local landowners were picking mushrooms about a mile north of Choteau on Wednesday evening when they came across the adult female grizzly bear, which charged them. The men shot and killed the bear at close range.

“I spoke to John and Justin shortly after the incident and they were both still shook up,” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Christy Clark said in a press release. “They told me their story and it was clear it was very traumatic. What’s important here is they’re OK.”

FWP officials said the female grizzly killed had a cub of the year with her at the time of the encounter, and the agency is attempting to capture the cub.

This is the fourth known grizzly bear mortality in 2025, according to FWP’s grizzly mortality dashboard, and the second grizzly death in Teton County this spring. The other mortality in Teton County is listed as under investigation, but FWP at the time described it as self defense.

The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration.

Bears are active along the Rocky Mountain Front and in areas around towns like Choteau, Ulm and Cascade. If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call your local FWP bear specialist. You can locate their contact information here.

As bears emerge from hibernation throughout the spring, FWP officials remind all Montanans heading into frontcountry or backcountry terrain to always carry bear spray, travel in groups, make noise, and keep garbage, food and other attractants in secure bins or buildings