APPENDIX E 

 GUIDELINES FOR BEAR DEPREDATION OF BEEHIVES 



bco.^i 



MONTANA cspakt^jENT OF FISH, wTLr;:.:?F A:jr, ?ar:<s 



G'JIjELTNES FOP- 

 BEAK DEPRECATION OF BEfJHrvKS 



Baar ceprodaticn to beehives is considered a speciaiizsd 

 :let;ced.aticn prafcl-air.. Ccnsecuently, the following guideLinss ars 

 ccnsidered i supplement tc the existing,, mere extensi'/e gene 

 daraage guidelines dated Septe.-nber 3C, 1535. Existing stat-jtes end 

 rules Lildssify bees as livesLOCx. Bees must, tr.creiore, ie 

 inciuded with other liu-e=tcck; in sr.at-jtes which iddrass pr=di;t.i::i 

 and other probiens related to iLvestock iS7-3-127 £r!d 37-3-130). 

 These statutes allow livestock owners to shoc^, trap c;r chass* wit;i 

 docs any bears '.haz ha'-^e des-royed, :jr are threataninc to d&::.tr3y 

 beil'hlv.?s . Theea statutes do not supercede private property 

 richts . Lanriovners may pr^jrent bears frcm teing l^iiied by bocn 

 t.,3^i(;e%isers and Cepartment personnel by prevtntir.g access tc tr>e^r 

 property. 



1 . All bear depredation cci:ipla-nt£ ti the Department will be 

 invesLiyatec w^thir, 43 .nours (S7-1-225). Complaints ~y 

 beeke^F*^'!'* should be .nade to local ADC agents cr Seccrtmen- 

 cf Fish, Wildlife ar.d Par^-cs ' personnel. 'First cc.iiact" 

 individuals or procedures may vary locally. Ccordinatitn 

 wit." ADC relative to bear-bee issues will be accomniodatsc at 

 reylc.nal level by Reg::;nal Sup-ervi.-ic:r . 



2. All boars known by the Departnient to have d*3:itroyed -Dtjohivos 

 will be killed i.n •jomplia-icti with Dtjpartmer.t polity. When 

 t.ie r!«rp<3rtm6r.t responds tc a veritied t<?eyard dsinege 

 cnniplai.nt where bees have Deen killed by fne bear, xIH-.tj 

 the cear is the cniy i;'. tern<it ivt5 . Beeki^t^pers nuist nav^ 

 peirmisi-ior. of Zhn iandc>wn.5r to kill deprecating besrs :3n 

 prcoerty otner t.icin their own 



3. EiS'Skcc-per? nay shoot, tr;:p, sn£ir= cr c'r.n'^^ with decs, a.vy 

 bears t;i.j- have destrcyad, or are threaten:.- g zz destroy 

 be«."i/es (S7-3-^2T; 87-3-13C|. Beeksepers' must have 

 reasonablr? evidence that bears killad ha%'e caasod Ga-iiage and 

 avo-d the killing ot "innocent" bears. Any bears Itilled oy 

 landowners or beekeeper j shall b^ reported t;- the repertsient 

 as soon as practical and nc later than 72 hours ;3"-3-13C'. 

 After repcrt of a zear kill, ?sp personnel will ao;npl=ta the 

 depredation report ond the r.ecesaairy part-= and data will be 

 obtained (e.g. tooth, claws, skull i . All bears ktlled by 

 jandowners -cr beekeepers will re.'nain the property or t.is 

 stite. 



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