GRANGEVILLE, Idaho — Fresh grizzly bear tracks have been confirmed by a Fish and Game conservation officer south of Grangeville.
According to the department, the tracks were found on Saturday in the Fish Creek Meadows winter recreation area about seven miles south of Grangeville.
Fish and Game officials warn hunters and recreationists to be "bear aware" because they are uncertain if the grizzly is still in the area or has moved on.
Fish and Game's first evidence of a grizzly in the area came from game camera pictures in the same general vicinity in spring 2019. Biologists collected a hair sample, which was sent for genetic testing.
Officials say results matched a male grizzly that had been radio-collared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a yearling in 2017 near the Idaho-British Columbia border. The radio collar fell off the bear in 2018.
A Fish and Game officer collected a hair sample near the tracks found this month in the Fish Creek Meadows area, which was sent for genetic testing. However, it could take months for test results.
If confirmed as the same bear, this bear is now four years old, and it has traveled several hundred miles through Idaho and Montana without any known conflict with people, Fish and Game said.
Anyone who sees a grizzly bear is asked to report it to Fish and Game by calling a regional office or filling out an online form.
The department also released a video giving tips for avoiding bears, what to do if you encounter one, and what to do in the unlikely case you're attacked.
