A little black bear made it to the really wrong side of the railroad tracks and got darted for his trouble in downtown Missoula on Wednesday afternoon.

The 70-pound yearling boar was first spotted along East Broadway near where Rattlesnake Creek flows toward the Clark Fork River. Missoula resident Jim Caron was parking his car by the intersection of Pine and Jefferson streets, a block away from the MCT Theater building, when the bear confronted him.

"He took about four steps toward me," Caron said. "Then he stood up and went up the tree."

The bear climbed a big maple tree and found a resting spot about 30 feet off the ground. As police and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officers gathered below, he lay on the branch swinging his paws in the air.

A crowd of about 30 people gathered to watch as the officers spread a net to catch the bear. FWP wildlife management specialist Bob Wiesner prepared a dart gun as a crew from NorthWestern Energy maneuvered a bucket truck into position by the tree.

Wiesner shot the bear with a tranquilizer and watched for it to start wagging its tongue. The catching crew stretched out the net and braced as the bear lost its grip on the branch. About five minutes after it was darted, the bear tumbled into the net.