Delisting Grizzlies

[shadowwalker]

I am so glad this is happening. Finally if some get shot for attacking people or just get hunted. The fear of man might come back into them. I have been tracked by them more times than I can count, when hunting elk, deer, ect. Or when fishing. I have out run a young one back to the truck twice. I have heard them walk through camp at night looking for something to eat. I have seen what's left of a camp or travel trailer when they forage for food. It is not a good feeling when you have to keep looking over shoulder while you are hunting something else. Or be sitting at game trail and watch one of those calmly walk within yards of you. Ya, you got a gun, but you'd have to see a full grown one up close and personal. And realize that is all you have, if they decide your the food of choice.
I'm moving back to wyoming, probably within the next two or three years. I hope they are selling licenses for them by then!

[Dirtslinger]

I live in grizzley country, and have never had nor heard of anyone having a bad experience. Black bear, yes.
There is a lot more too it, but a problem bear is usually due to serious ignornace on the human end of things. Those bears need to get shot as you can't usually relocate them successfully.
I personally don't think 600 bears is large enough a population to allow hunting. They play an important role.

[shadowwalker]

Don't know much about the grizzly situation in the U.S. Rocky mountains, huh? We got blackies here too. They do cause more problems with wanting food mainly. As they destroy material things to get it.
You probably wanted to share the wolves with us too. Another mistake, for us.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

The grizzlies aren't any problem here unlike the black bears. I'm sure glad they won't be delisting them here in North Idaho.

[suburbanite]

My brother lives in Alaska. They have grizzlies all over the place up there, but its always the *MOOSE* that get people in trouble.

Moose attacks greatly outnumber grizzly attacks up there.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Moose cause more problems for me than bears do for sure, just because they like to go thru my fences and gates. My neighbor was charged by a bull when he walked to his mailbox one fall. The grizzlies and the wolves haven't caused me any problems or my husband or neighbors while they are hunting.

[hillsidedigger]

I think only problem grizzly bears caught in a problem situation should be shot and then only as a last resort. The population could sustain only a few licenses or tags for hunting a year, so why bother.

The Greater Yellowstone area only has one grizzly bear for every 50 square miles of public land. Thats not very many.

I imagine if human encroachment into the wild areas of the world continues, the few remaining wild areas may require fencing with something like the Great Wall fo China if any large animals are to survive.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

The fear of man might come back into them. I have been tracked by them more times than I can count, when hunting elk, deer, ect. Or when fishing. I have out run a young one back to the truck twice. I have heard them walk through camp at night looking for something to eat. I have seen what's left of a camp or travel trailer when they forage for food. It is not a good feeling when you have to keep looking over shoulder while you are hunting something else. Or be sitting at game trail and watch one of those calmly walk within yards of you. Ya, you got a gun, but you'd have to see a full grown one up close and personal. And realize that is all you have, if they decide your the food of choice.
then!

I would think this would make hunting a lot more exciting. Kind of evens up the odds a little bit. If the big bad grizzlies are too scary then there are plenty of other places to hunt.

[shadowwalker]

Lisa I left two other places I hunted for many years. Moved my hunting camps over 160 miles away. I won't leave the last one.I hunted here for over 13 years. Enough is enough. And I will dea; with them there.

[Frontierpoultry]

I can't really speak to the issue of the Wyoming grizzly bear but I will say this. Weather it be Wyoming or Alaska we have to trust the game biologists and the powers that be to manage our wildlife. I would also say that hunting provides a very effective means of wildlife management by which the entire bio-system is considered.

[fordy]

...............If , total control of each state(s) endangered species was relinquinished to those states game and fish dept.'s without federal oversight more than likely all griz's and timber wolves would automatically become subject too being shot the second they step off the national parks boundary lines .
................Even with federal control and oversight the preditor\prey Ratio is still so lopsided in favor of the prey(elk , deer mainly) that both bear and wolf populations need to be increased significantly . For anyone who has rece'd a hunting permit to shoot a bull elk on the National Elk Wildlife refuge , it is luidicrous too call it hunting. This refuge , for those not aware of this situation , is approximately 5000 acres about 5 miles or so on the northern edge of Jackson Hole , Wy. Each winter thousands of Elk migrate out of the Tetons and jellystone park showup and be fed all winter by the interior dept .
..................They basically just stand around all winter being fed by large trailers dribbling pelletized food rations out in long lines on the ground . Hunting , Unless it's changed , consists of shooters lining up behind a line , setting UP their scoped rifles like they were at a shooting range , each hunter choosing a bull\rack and then shooting their "pick" while he stands there like he's waiting for supper . HuntinG , it ain't ! Anyway , I really don't have a problem with the method like I did when I was younger as there are SO many animals that culling is necessary as long as it is humane , even if I sound overly critical . My point is that many years prior , all wolves and brown bears were shot out of existance , and obviously the "Prey" numbers have been on the increase for years and frankly , there are just not many hunters , who nowadays , are willing to challenge the mountains when hunting season starts and they don't have too cause all the elk "come too them" .
....................I have NO problem with anyone shooting a bear of either species when necessary but I also feel that their lifestyle and numbers should remain under federal mandate until the preditor\prey ratio has improved signiciantly infavor of more preditors . fordy...

[idahodave]

I guess I wouldn't say the grizzly are friendly and don't cause problems. Just had someone get mauled by a grizz ten miles down the road. Problem with bears is they are big, strong, and unpredictable.

Been to the Elk Refuge many times....hunting isn't quite like Fordy described.
Only bulls for the first week of the season and most of them are still up in the hills. Feeding is done late in the season (if at all) and only after the snow is deep enough to prevent the elk from reaching natural forage.

Elk count has been down, and as stated the refuge hunt is to control population. It could be reduced or discontinued if the elk population continues to decline.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by idahodave

I guess I wouldn't say the grizzly are friendly and don't cause problems. Just had someone get mauled by a grizz ten miles down the road. Problem with bears is they are big, strong, and unpredictable.

Been to the Elk Refuge many times....hunting isn't quite like Fordy described.
Only bulls for the first week of the season and most of them are still up in the hills. Feeding is done late in the season (if at all) and only after the snow is deep enough to prevent the elk from reaching natural forage.

Elk count has been down, and as stated the refuge hunt is to control population. It could be reduced or discontinued if the elk population continues to decline.

...............Thanks for the correction, Dave ! I was there from 78 thru 81 camping at the Gros Ventre River campground , never during the actual hunt rather I was trying to recall from memory an article that I had read previously . It is always important for everyone to be presented with accurate info and I was obviously quoting facts from an inaccurate memory . I guess I'm biased in favor of the bears and wolves since they've been treated rather badly in years past but maybe we can have a more balanced approach to conservation that respects the rights of both bears , wolves and humans . fordy...

[idahodave]

Originally Posted by fordy

............... I was there from 78 thru 81 camping at the Gros Ventre River campground ,. fordy...

Things change in 25-30 years. Current thinking is to quit feeding Elk. The large populations in small areas can help propagate disease in the animals. Even if they do quit feeding Elk will move to the old areas because that's where natural forage exists.