FWP Bear Specialist Jamie Jonkel and The Ice Cream Place Co-owner Paul Daniels discuss the fencing they just unloaded that will be used to protect the restaurant's outdoor dumpster from bears.
FWP Bear Specialist Jamie Jonkel and University of Montana grad student Rob Green, help The Ice Cream Place Co-owner Paul Daniels unload bags of cement meant to go towards an electric fence that will protect the restaurant's outdoor dumpster from bears.
The Ice Cream Place Co-owner Paul Daniels measures the dimensions of a dumpster so he and his friends can effectively install an electric fence that will prevent bears from accessing the dumpster. FWP Bear Specialist Jamie Jonkel said the project would likely be completed around mid-June.
SEELEY LAKE - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Bear Specialist Jamie Jonkel and Rob Green, an environmental studies graduate student with the University of Montana, unloaded building supplies outside of The Ice Cream Place with the help of restaurant Co-owner Paul Daniels Thursday, May 27. The supplies are intended for an electric fence meant to keep bears from getting into the restaurant's dumpster.
Jonkel said he expects the project to take roughly a week with the goal of having it complete by mid-June. Daniels volunteered to do most of the labor with his friends to help ease the labor costs. After initial construction is complete, Russ Talmo from Defenders of Wildlife will help electrify the fence.
The materials were funded as part of a $15,000 grant from the Missoula Resource Advisory Committee. Some of the other funding will go towards another electric fence near The Filling Station, a project they hope to complete later this summer.
Jonkel said if there is leftover funding then he will speak to property owners on the southside of town to consider providing similar protective structures for dumpsters near rentals.
FWP is prioritizing these locations because they have experienced above average bear activity in the past. Daniels said they had a large black bear last summer that was causing issues with the dumpster.
Jonkel said last year U.S. Forest Service Federal Officer Tyler Robinson had suggested to him that they build bear resistant structures around local businesses. After speaking with Daniels and The Filling Station, they decided that they would construct the structures around these businesses.
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