Rutland natives Dave & Pat Kulzer, now residents of the Swan River Valley in western Montana, report that a bear has been making regular trips through their yard. The most recent sighting of the critter, believed to be a cinnamon colored black bear, was at about 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, Flag Day. The bear had passed through the Kulzers’ yard heading south about ten days earlier, and it is believed that it was patrolling its territory, warning unfriendly bears and other heavy-duty predators to keep their distance. Although black bears may weigh up to 300 to 400 pounds and can be dangerous, they are neither as large nor as ill-tempered as their grizzly bear cousins. The bear that passed through the Kulzers’ yard had neither the dished face nor the hump on its back that are characteristics distinctive to the grizzly. Just to be sure, Pat did some research, and this is what she found:

“I found this info re the grizzly’s hump at https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Grizzly-Bear :  “Grizzly bears are large and range in color from very light tan (almost white) to dark brown. They have a dished face, short, rounded ears, and a large shoulder hump. The hump is where a mass of muscles attach to the bear’s backbone and give the bear additional strength for digging. They have very long claws on their front feet that also give them extra ability to dig after food and to dig their dens. An animal fact guide says that grizzly cubs are born blind, hairless & toothless but within a month, while nursing from their mother, they grow teeth & fur & have opened their eyes and are ready to venture out of the winter den. The cubs are able to climb trees but lose that ability when their claws get fully developed.  Pat.” 

There haven’t been any grizzly bears out here on the prairie for about 200 years, but, just in case they start reclaiming their ancestral range, this is good information to know. Thanks to Pat & Dave Kulzer for the report.