Wildlife officials are warning drivers to be on the lookout for bears on the highway in southeast B.C., as the animals are preparing for winter and moving closer to traffic.

On Sunday, a hunter reported he had shot a bear seen stumbling around an area about 20 kilometres east of Castlegar, said Ben Beetlestone, a conservation officer with the B.C. Ministry of Environment.

In addition to a bullet hole, conservation officials found broken bones and bruised flesh on the animal — evidence that it was hit by a vehicle, Beetlestone said.

"The rib cages that are broken and the back leg that's broken, it probably has been hit by a vehicle," he said.

Beetlestone said he's investigating two dead bears in a mountainous area, and both were probably struck by vehicles.

"Just the time of year when animals are moving at dusk and daylight," he said. "People are still travelling at summer speeds, not getting ready for winter conditions. They're maybe not as alert as they should be with animals crossing the highway." 

Beetlestone is asking drivers to slow down on highways that stretch through forested areas.