A black bear that wandered into a Worden neighborhood Monday found its way under a residential deck before wildlife officials tranquilized the animal and approved it for relocation to Sweet Grass County.

Homeowner Dalton Ross and his wife Jordan said the evening was more eventful than expected when they discovered the bear had settled beneath their deck. Ross joked about the situation before officials arrived — a response that probably felt less funny with a tranquilizer dart team on the lawn. The bear was sedated without injury and cleared for transport.

Worden is a small community in Yellowstone County, well outside the Helena area, but bear encounters in residential neighborhoods have become a recurring story across Montana as the state's black bear population remains healthy and human development continues to push into wildlife corridors. Sweet Grass County, where the bear was released, offers more remote habitat.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks generally prefers relocation over euthanasia for bears that have not shown aggressive behavior, though repeat encounters with human food sources can change that calculus. In this case, officials determined the animal was a candidate for a second chance somewhere with fewer decks.