Mountain Biker Uses Bear Spray to Deter Grizzly on Trail Near Troy

TROY, MT — A mountain biker successfully used bear spray to deter what he believed was a grizzly bear during a close encounter on the Starry Goat Trail near Troy last week, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

The biker, who was riding alone Thursday after work, initially mistook the bear for debris on the trail ahead of him.

“There’s something odd on the trail in front of me, and I mean, my mind went to, boy, that looks like an awfully weird looking root ball that was blown over,” the biker said in an interview. “I looked up at it and made a noise and just as quickly as I made a noise the bear had recognized that I was there and had turned around and decided to start coming towards me.”

The encounter escalated rapidly as the bear approached. The biker quickly dismounted his bike and retrieved bear spray he stowed in his water bottle mounted to his bikes down tube.

“At that point I had to quickly stop, get off the bike, unclip pulling the bear spray out, fiddling with the little orange pull tab and getting ready to spray it,” he said. “Came into me, closed the distance really quick.”

Despite the stress of the situation, the biker remained calm enough to assess the bear’s characteristics and consider wind conditions before deploying the spray.

“I was able to think long enough, boy this looks like a grizzly bear because of the hump in the shoulders,” he said. “I remember thinking to myself at that time just looking at the facial features and the feet, looks like a grizzly bear.”

The biker waited until the bear was within 10 feet before using the spray, wanting to ensure effectiveness while conserving some for a potential second shot.

“It’s windy. I don’t want to spray it too soon and preferably I want to keep a little bit in the can as a second shot if I need it,” he explained. “So I let the bear get pretty close. Sprayed it. Within 10 feet, the bear decided to reroute and leave.”

The bear spray proved effective immediately. The bear retreated approximately 20 yards up the hill and sat at the base of a tree, pawing at its face. The biker was then able to leave the area without further incident. No injuries were reported.

“He basically ran past me in this direction up the hill and sat with his back towards me and started pawing at his face,” the biker said.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed the incident occurred on the Starry Goat Trail, located off Callahan Creek Road west of Troy. The trail remains open, but officials urge users to remain cautious of possible bear activity.

FWP staff initially set up trail cameras to try to identify the bear but did not observe any further activity and have since removed the cameras.

The biker acknowledged he doesn’t always remember to carry bear spray but has been making more of an effort recently.

The encounter comes as Montana experiences increased bear conflicts statewide. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks launched a new dashboard this summer to track grizzly bear conflicts, which has recorded 59 incidents since mid-June, including 16 cases of direct human interactions.

“I’m probably one of the people that forget their bear spray and forget everything. I’m always in a rush,” he said. “This particular time and I’ve been really trying to make a point of it.”

Bear Safety Recommendations

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds recreationists that Montana is bear country and offers these safety tips:

• Carry bear spray in an accessible place and know how to use it
• Stay alert and look for bear activity, especially where visibility or hearing is limited
• Anyone traveling quickly, such as mountain bikers or trail runners, can be at high risk of surprising a bear
• Slow down and look ahead, especially in areas of dense vegetation, berry patches, and around blind corners
• Ride or run in daylight and in groups when possible
• Make noise to let bears hear you, especially where visibility is limited

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has shared video of an interview with the biker and has been shared by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as an educational example of proper bear spray deployment.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.