Missoula, Mont. — A weak wild berry season across the state has pushed bears and other foragers into more human-populated areas.
River Shannon Aloia, the Western Montana Wild Forager, described the conditions of huckleberry bushes found on Blue Mountain outside of Missoula.
“These plants are severely damaged," she said. "We had continuous cold snaps in the spring, when the plants had already put out their blossoms. When we get a late frost like that, it kills off all the blossoms, and then there's no berries produced,”
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks compared this year to 2025 its Region Two report for June and July bear activity:
"In 2025, natural bear foods were abundant and as a result conflicts were low. This year is different. FWP responded to 272 black bear-related incidents in the last two months, and there were likely many other conflicts that went unreported."
Jamie Jonkel, a bear manager with FWP, said that lack of food pushes bears towards humans.
“It puts them right in the lap of a lot of subdivisions and and high use recreation areas," he said. "So people are hiking and biking and living right where the berries are. It's been been an interesting year."
Jonkel says the pattern shows up across much of Montana, though recently ripened choke cherries and hawthorne have helped in recent weeks.
Aloia says people should consider leaving wild berries for wildlife during a season like this.
“When we have a bad year like this, it really is recommended that you don't pick huckleberries," she said. "It's not worth the little bit that you'll get and the opportunity for conflict with bears in those areas where there actually are huckleberries still is going to be increased."
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