DEER LODGE — Odors lure omnivorous grizzlies from miles away. The smells would likely gag a human if he or she was close enough to the source to actually detect them.

Yet the Powell County Landfill provides a cornucopia of olfactory delights for grizzlies. Carrion calls. Garbage teeming with ice fishing bait.

The landfill’s location off Boulder Road is a short roam from the City of Deer Lodge.

Brad Balis, a bear specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, noticed this juxtaposition and paired this observation with a growing number of grizzly bear sightings in Powell County.

He could imagine the potential scenario and it worried him.

First up, the landfill as feast, with a side of habituation. Then, the alleyways of Deer Lodge and odiferous garbage awaiting pickup.

On Thursday, Bal

See Full Page