Bears emerge from hibernation

Between the winter thaw and the summer sun there arrives two annual influxes of new area residents. The beach-lounging lake crowd, and the bears.

This late winter has kept both populations away, but recent weeks has seen the beginning of bear movement in the area, and while most of the collared grizzlies haven’t ventured far it’s only a short matter of time before they start leaving their winter dens and exploring the same areas that humans inhabit and enjoy.

“I’ve got four radio collars that are out of the den,” said Erik Wenum, Fish, Park, and Wildlife’s Management Specialist in the Swan Val...