Tag Archives: grizzly bears

Officials debate way forward on grizzly bear management

Environmental Issues, News, ,

A good article by Rob Chaney posted recently to the Missoulian . . .

As the Rocky Mountain grizzly bear population grows, its managers have encountered something of a vision problem: They’re not sure what success looks like.

“We have a pretty good road map on how to recover grizzly bears – reduce mortality and provide them a place to live, and bears will slowly increase,” Idaho Game and Fish Director Jim Unsworth told his colleagues at the Interagency Grizzly Bear Commission last week in Missoula. “I’d like to see us move more into proven areas instead of hanging out in the past.”

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Public not getting the word on avoiding bears

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

No one who has spent much time on the North Fork will be surprised by the material discussed in this Associated Press article about grizzly bear encounters by inexperienced hikers.

However, there is a startling statement near the end that makes the whole article worth reading . . .

Officials recommend hikers carry bear spray, not run from grizzlies, and not hike alone.

Meanwhile, a representative of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment said a new study there found more evidence of Canadian black bears making predatory attacks on humans.

“We’re used to defensive attacks by grizzly bears, that are usually triggered by protecting cubs or food or space,” said Tony Hamilton. “But now we’re seeing black bears that have typically had no previous human contact looking at us as potential prey…

Read the entire article . . .

Relocated grizzlies raise concerns for residents of Northwest Montana

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

An interesting article from today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

A rash of grizzly bear incidents in Northwest Montana has led to one of the busiest years ever involving captures and relocations, according to Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

FWP has made 43 grizzly bear captures in Region 1 because of problem incidents this year, one of the highest numbers ever, according to FWP.

“This valley is a real grizzly hot spot,” FWP spokesperson John Fraley said.

Six grizzlies have had to be euthanized in recent months and one has been transferred to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone following problems, Fraley said.

Fraley attributes the increase in numbers to the fact that the grizzly population has recovered in the Northern Rockies in recent years, with an estimated 1,000 bears living in the region.

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Grizzly bears moving east onto Montana’s high plains

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Some pretty interesting news about grizzly bear recovery from today’s Missoulian . . .

An increasing grizzly bear population is expanding east from the Rocky Mountain Front in western Montana as individual bears discover that the plains contain abundant food, a grizzly bear expert says.

Mike Madel of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said some bears appear to have discovered that food sources are better on the plains than in the mountains. He noted that in the past young bears trying to make it on their own were showing up on the plains, but now there are adult females that are passing their knowledge to their cubs.

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Grizzly numbers in Montana, Wyoming & Idaho leveling off

Environmental Issues, News,

From today’s Missoulian . . .

Grizzly numbers in and around Yellowstone National Park dropped slightly this year, indicating the region’s bear population could be leveling off after decades of steady growth, researchers reported Thursday.

An estimated 593 bears are roaming the region of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, said Mark Haroldson, a bear researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey. That’s down from 602 last year and compares with a 4 percent average annual growth rate since the mid-1980s.

“Statistically, the evidence is it’s flattened out,” Haroldson said.

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Feds ready to delist wolves in Wyoming, shoot on sight

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

An AP article posted in today’s Missoulian . . .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a plan Tuesday to remove wolves in Wyoming from federal protection and allow them to be shot on sight in most of the state.

The draft plan posted online and set for publication in the Federal Register on Wednesday opens the way for Wyoming’s wolves to be removed from the endangered list perhaps next summer and no later than a year from now.

The proposal follows a delisting framework that Fish and Wildlife and Wyoming officials agreed to last summer after months of negotiations.

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More grizzly bears moving out of high country and into town

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

An interesting report from the Missoulian . . .

Like a bucket filled beyond its brim, Montana’s wild spaces are spilling grizzly bears.

In August, a homeowner’s remote camera recorded a 250-pound grizzly bear foraging along Ashley Creek – two blocks from the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional headquarters in Kalispell.

“The pool’s closed and the big money’s paid out – we’ve had our first grizzly in Kalispell,” FWP Region 1 bear specialist Erik Wenum joked. “It walked itself right out of town. It wasn’t collared, but it wasn’t doing anything bad. It was just a location issue.”

Those location issues may become more common…

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Grizzly population study planned for Idaho and Montana

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From the Flathead Beacon . . .

Researchers are planning to collect grizzly bear fur samples snagged on barbed wire as part of a three-year study in northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.

The study, which begins next summer, should give a more precise estimate of the number of grizzlies in the 2.4-million acre Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem, said Kate Kendall, a U.S. Geological Service scientist at Glacier National Park.

She also said researchers will also be able to use DNA to determine blood lines and gender.

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Larry Wilson: Fewer bear problems this summer

Commentary, Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

In this week’s column, Larry talks about the encouraging drop in bear-human conflicts this summer. . . .

I’m a little bit surprised that there have been so few grizzly bear problems this summer.

On Trail Creek, the huckleberry crop has been less than bountiful in the lower elevations, and this usually translates to more bear problems.

The two three-year-old sows that have been seen quite often have not caused any problems, and the big boar on Trail Creek has also been seen but, so far, has not been a problem.

I think there are several reasons for this, but the biggest is the fact that North Fork humans have become excellent guests in grizzly habitat.

Continue reading at the Hungry Horse News . . .

Grizzlies getting a little too close to some homes in Flathead area

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , ,

It sounds like the usual late-season bear attractants are causing some problems in the valley. The Missoulian has a write-up . . .

State wildlife officials worked through the weekend to capture a trio of apple-eating grizzly bears visiting homes near Columbia Falls, but as of Monday they had succeeded in penning just two of the grizzlies.

Meanwhile, a trap set for a fourth grizzly habituating a residential area in Kalispell was pulled Monday following a week that brought an unusual amount of interface between grizzlies and humans in the Flathead Valley.

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