Dec 12 2011
From the Associated Press . . . Wildlife biologists say that reports of grizzly bears are increasing in Montana’s Beartooth Front, but it’s difficult to tell if there are more bears or just more bear sightings. Barb Pitman, wildlife biologist with the Beartooth Ranger District in Red Lodge, told The Billings Gazette it’s not clear [...]
Dec 06 2011
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 [...]
Dec 04 2011
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, [...]
Nov 24 2011
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 [...]
Oct 15 2011
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 [...]
Oct 13 2011
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 [...]
Oct 04 2011
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 [...]
Oct 04 2011
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 [...]
Sep 28 2011
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, [...]
Sep 01 2011
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 [...]
