Grizzly/Brown Bears

Yellowstone Grizzly Will Remain Federally Listed For Now

Posted: by colleen

Yesterday a federal appeals court ruled that the Yellowstone grizzly bear will not be removed from the federal endangered species list due to the bears’ reliance on the whitebark pine, a tree that has been declining in numbers from to beetle infestations.

Grizzly bears were given protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, at which time only about 136 grizzlies existed in the Greater Yellowstone Area.  After bringing number up to levels considered sustainable by the recovery plan, in 2007 the Fish and Wildlife Service removed federal protection.  A number of environmental organizations sued the government for delisting the bears at that time, stating that the decrease in whitebark pine creates a hardship for the bears and creates unsuitable habitat. 

Tuesday’s ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocks the federal government from turning management of grizzly bears over to the concerned states; Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.  In response to the court’s decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Chris Servheen states that the government with present the court with new evidence not available prior to the ruling. 

Today there are about 600 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area, and their numbers continue to rise.  With the higher number of bears in the area come higher numbers of bear-human encounters.  2011 had a higher than average number of grizzly-human conflicts, including 2 human deaths.  GBOP remains committed to educating communities about living safely with grizzly bears.  Please read more about grizzly bear identification, tips for coexistence, and safety.

Click here to read more about Tuesday’s ruling.

New Food Storage Orders Put in Place in the Selkirk Mountain Ecosystem

Posted: by tim

The Idaho Panhandle National Forest recently put into place a new Food Storage Order of the Priest Lake, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry Ranger Districts. This Forest Service Order will deal with human food and pet food, garbage and bird seed, deer carcasses, fish entrails and anything else that might lure wildlife into trouble especially bears. This has been done to reduce conflicts and potential conflict between wildlife and humans. The Colville National Forest, which also manages lands within this ecosystem, has had a similar food storage order in place since 1987 when its forest plan was revised. The new food storage requirements are intended to be permanent, effective each year from April 1 through Dec. 1. The rules applying to the “front country,” such as around Priest Lake, have been encouraged for years. They include keeping food in a vehicle or hard-sided shelter when not being consumed at meals. The new rules specifically prohibit feeding wildlife and putting up bird feeders – liquid, suet or seed – in certain areas. Bear-resistant garbage containers will be required in designated areas and camp food and leftovers, such as bacon grease, must be hauled out and not buried on site. Within most other grizzly bear ecosystems, the National Forests and Parks have had similar rules for years. The conditions of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests new food storage order only pertain to activities on national forest system lands within this ecosystem.

For more information on this Food Storage Order visit the Idaho Panhandle National Forests website.

New Grizzly Bear Study within Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem

Posted: by tim

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved a DNA hair snare study within the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear ecosystem to be conducted over the next few years. This study will parallel a similar study that was conducted within the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem several years ago. This study will be conducted over the entire Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem, which lies partially within Idaho and Montana states. The ecosystem will be divided in approximately 395 grids, which are (5km x 5km) in size. A sampling station will be established within each grid. Each sampling grid will include a hair snagging station which is designed to collect hair from bears and other wildlife that are attracted to the grid station. Bears are attracted to the grid station by a scent lure and hair samples are collected by barbed wire without injury to the animals. Teams of scientists then collect the hair samples regularly for analysis. A visual analysis will determine species of bear and further genetic analysis can be used to identify individual bear and sex. The outcome will allow scientists and managers to best determine the number of grizzly bears that are within that ecosystem within a high degree of statistical accuracy and what steps may be needed to further recovery efforts.

For more information:
http://www.cdapress.com/news/outdoors/article_654d9bf8-ea08-5b9b-9341-2c52c31b8f37.html

 

Autumn, Hunting and Bear Safety (and Pies)

Posted: by colleen

For some, cooler weather means additional sweaters, increased heating bills and a great excuse to eat a lot of pie.  For others, autumn means big game hunting season.  We walk quietly through the woods, in camouflage sometimes sprayed with animal musk, and we bugle to attract animals.  While our technique may be good way to attract deer and elk, they are also a good way to attract a curious bear. 

While bears are naturally shy creatures, there have been an increased number of incidents with grizzlies this year.  A high number of grizzlies have been relocated or removed by wildlife agents due to human food habituation, and there have been two human deaths from grizzly bear attacks this year; a hiker in Yellowstone National Park and a hunter in Lincoln County.  Deaths from bear attacks are very rare, but precautions should be taken when hiking, camping and hunting.

Please read Staying Safe in Bear Country where you can learn about bear behavior and how to properly respond to a potential bear attack.  Read Tips for Coexistence to learn about safely hunting, camping and hiking in bear country. 

Tips for Coexistence also lists ways in which you can keep your yard free from bear attractants.  Bears have a very strong sense of smell and are attracted to unsecured garbage, greasy BBQs, dog food, bird feeders and more.  Bears that are attracted to human food can become problematic, and may be removed or killed – and they hold the potential to do some decent property damage.  Just as we’re putting on a little fat for the winter (ahh, the joy of eating pie), bears are preparing to den for the winter and are focused on eating as many calories as possible: in late summer and early fall black bears can eat up to 20,000 calories a day, grizzly bears twice that much. 

Whether you are preparing for a fall hunt, or preparing your BBQ for storage, follow the links above to learn more about being Bear Smart and about responsibly living with bears. 

Out for a swim: Grizzly conquers lake

Posted: by snegri

A fascinating article about a female bear in Montana estimated to have traveled over 1,200 miles on land and water June 2010 to September 2011. Why this bear is so unusual is that female grizzly bears are known to cover a 50 to 300 square miles of habitat, while males require 200 to 500 square miles. She also swam three miles on one of her trips. Read the article and be amazed!