Last week a 450 pound male grizzly bear was euthanized by the USDA after it was confirmed that it killed a beef cow in the Big Snowy Mountains south of Lewistown. That’s right, Lewistown! This is way outside the current home range of Grizzly bears in Montana. The Snowy Mountains are located in east central Montana which are way east of the Belts or Judith Mountains which aren’t known to have grizzly bears either. Montana FWP said the bear was reported the week before after a remote camera captured it on a cattle carcass. Traps were set and the bear was caught with two more cows falling victim to the grizzly. It was determined the bear was about five years old and because of the location, age and sex of the bear which helped officials determine for it to be put down.
This has been the furthest east I’ve heard of a grizzly bear showing up in Montana. DNA from the bear will be used to determine where he came from. This is a classic sign of a young boar being out competed in his home territory so he traveled a great distance looking for females and for a new home range. This is a sign of high densities of bears in their current territories which forces young males out and has become more and more common the past few years. We have seen wolves do the same thing, an example being male wolf (OR-93) traveling over 1000 miles to California from northeast Oregon. A couple years ago another young male made the same route and was found shot dead in California. That mystery still remains unsolved.
As grizzly populations grow across their traditional homerange, expect more and more of these occurrences to happen. Spring time is the busiest time for wildlife officials as dozens of livestock bear conflicts across the West end up in relocations or euthanizations.
13 comments
Hmmm. Makes no sense ? How can these Grizzly expand their range ? They are managed and we have an ideal population goal and a “management region” they should inhabit ?
Should that region include grizzly’s being allowed to expand into each Western city ? Where does the boundary stop ? Did anyone sit the bears down and let em know they are trespassing and don’t belong there ? I watched the Bambi movie and the animals seem to communicate and abide by the rules – right ? What am I missing ?
Maybe someone could come up with an idea that a certain number of bears is an ideal number? Then maybe they could use a map say they that number they came up with should only reside in the area identified on a map? If the number gets too large maybe there is a way to lower it ? Any ideas how ? It’s so confusing and difficult to figure this out! Hopefully someone can get a degree or use wildlife science and rules and Regs to figure it out and “manage” this situation ? Please someone figure out and help !
Maybe we should contact one of those liberal judges in California who put a stay on the delisting proposal and have him ask the bears to please stay in their designated areas.
Or maybe someone from the Sierra Club or Friends on the Animals could help with that.
What did they expect?
This whole predator protection issue is really about generating money for liberal causes that include destroying hunting and western ranching. That’s the real issue and design. They really don’t care about the bears or the wolves or any other wildlife.
From what I’ve heard from talking personally to predator lovers is they want it to be what it was like when Lewis and Clark were here. At least 50,000 grizzly bears across the landscape. And there is no limit to the number of people that are attacked or die from grizzlies, because after all its the persons fault being in their territory.
The landscape can not handle the Lewis and Clark days bear population. If they want it like it was back then, we should bring the bison back to the plains as well, and get rid of the big cities.
Its all about generating money for the Libtards under the guise of animal protection. We see this playbook in every sector of American Life. The difference between Conspiracy Theory and Fact is usually about 6 months and then it’s just 100% truth!
Mr. Friel you are spot on amigo ! Its easy to become some conspiracy nut these days because when you observe things with any sense of common sense or rational judgement- you come up totally confused with how the hell any logic applies to efforts by these “outside” of hunting entities ? First someone pushes for introduction or re-introduction, ok fine, we agree with that, since we don’t lose sight that Elk had to be reintroduced. Then we agree on area(s), fine, they have to put in an area with habitat (not Downtown Chicago), then we say how many could live in that area based on what they EAT and how much food is in that area, simple so far? Then we say that number is 100 or 1000 or a million bears? How many ? Now what – its too many – Jesus what can we do? Now the logic seems to fall apart here forward. Is it “reneging” on the original idea? They said “introduce in this Area” then they said “this many” now there is this many and in this area. Back to the White man speaks with forked tongue ! He said XYZ now he says ABC? Liars, manipulators. The bigger question is why would they turn around and say something else? Conspiracy enters the mind. However, its not conspiracy its an underlying dishonest Agenda where the Hunting Community is waaaaay out-gamed but liberal, Institutionalized, Suburbanized, Citiized (not a word), persons that have no connection to wildlife except in some idealistic that animals should just naturally co-exist. Bunch of crap !
Well said!
All interesting points, but they have been “around the area” for awhile. FWP Montana not forthcoming with information, for sure. Have spoken with LE in Malta, Havre, Zortman area and they have all said the “Griz” do come through the area more than the “public” really is aware. The corridor is a natural, look at a map. The famous “Breaks” are ideal habitat, upper flats with miles and miles of deep covered gorges along the Missouri, yep, classic original Grizzly habitat. Many of us bowhunters have been wondering how long it would be before someone is mauled in the area of the Breaks, seems to be only way to get any FWP information or interest out to public.
I suggest moving problem bears to the Poconos, Appalachian, Smoky and other mountains in the Northeast.
I agree and we could relocate them to Big Bend NP….massive acreage with a blackbear population of a few 100
Reminds me of when I was working on the wolf study. Stupid people wrote in I just want to hear a wolf howl so bring them back please. Even the Defender groups of these animals said no. If you do you will end up hunting them again and look where we are. Also they said we will set aside money to cover any damages. OKAY that lasted a short time. Common sense folks is needed. We all want to see or know these animals are there and the Eco system is working but at a point when they start over running their area something has too be done.
US Fish and Wildlife, with the knowledge of your local wildlife authority, moves the bears and the wolves where ever and when ever they want. The cowboys tending herds grazing on the various mountain ranges report many sittings of pick-up trucks towing a culvert/bear/wolf trap driving into or out of little used mountain dirt roads, especially at night. I have seen them myself here in the Bitterroots. There is no one to stop them and they have been very busy.
There is NO Law and no one to hold them responsible.
A lot of greenies have infiltrated the US Forest service and Fish and Wildlife. We aren’t likely to get any kind of accountability under the current administration. We have an election coming up in just over a year. We all need to do everything we can to take out the garbage and put people in federal office that will restore accountability and remember that this is a republic and they work for us. Not the other way around.