Wyoming Opens Season on Grizzly Bears, Numerous Problem Bears in State

Gun Watch ^ | 2 June, 2018 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In the fall of 2018, the first legal, scheduled grizzly bear hunt managed by a state government, will be held by Wyoming. Much of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is in the state of Wyoming. Grizzly bear-human conflicts have escalated with the expanding grizzly bear population. In 2017, of the 56 known and probable deaths of grizzly bears in the GYE, most were caused when bears attacked people or were destroying property.

From wdtn.com:

Names will be drawn until 10 hunters have paid for their licenses and certified they've taken a firearms safety course. Each license will be valid for a 10-day window of opportunity.

If approved, hunting could account for a sizeable portion of grizzly deaths in the region this year but not likely the biggest. Of the 56 known and suspected deaths of Yellowstone grizzlies in 2017, 40 were caused by people including 19 killed by elk hunters and others in self-defense.

The data base for grizzly bear mortality in the GYE is available on the Internet, provided by the United States Geological Survey. They conveniently list the place and cause of death in the intensively studied grizzly population.

Looking only at the grizzly deaths that occurred in Wyoming, there were 35 in 2017. Of those 35, 13 were killed by government management officials because of depredations, destroying property, and being a direct threat to humans. Nine other grizzlys were killed while attacking humans, in self defense (or as a result of the attack).

One grizzly was killed by a hunter who mistook it for a black bear. One was killed in a road accident. Three died of natural causes, of which two were killed by other bears. For the remaining eight bears, the cause of death was unknown for five and under investigation for three.

Bears are a sustainable resource whose increasing population is creating more and more conflicts with humans in Wyoming.

Those who disparage the danger that bears pose often say you are more likely to be killed by lightning than attacked by a bear.

Wyoming is considered the number one state for death by lightning.  Wyoming averages about .72 deaths by lightning per year, or 1.25 per million.

In 2017, counting only grizzly bear attacks where the bear was investigated and known to have been killed in self defense, there were nine. This does not count black bear attacks, attacks where the bear was not killed, or where the attack was never reported to the authorities.

Even with those incomplete figures, in Wyoming in 2017, you were 12 times as likely to be attacked by a bear as you are to be killed by a lightning strike.

When bears are hunted, they learn to associate humans with danger. There are a number of mechanisms for this to occur. Bears have incredibly sensitive noses. They are also cannibals. If they find a bear carcass that has been killed by a human, they will associate humans with danger. If bears are hunted with dogs, and not killed, they will associate dogs with danger. If bears are stung by debris or fragments from a close shot, they will learn to associate shooting and humans with danger.  If near grown cubs are with a adult bear that is killed by humans, the cub will associate humans with danger.

Up until the 1960's bears were considered dangerous wild animals. Bears were hunted so hard people began to believe that bears were naturally afraid of humans.  It was not true. As more protections for bears have been added to human law, more bears failed to learn that humans are dangerous.

The more bears are hunted, the more they will associate humans with danger. Bears with the most aggressive learned behavior will be selected out of the bear population.

In Wyoming, in 2017, at least 22 grizzly bears were deliberately killed because they endangered humans and their property.

In 2018, 22 permits will be issued to hunt and kill bears. The number may be coincidental. The state of Wyoming will charge between $600 and $6,000 for the permits. Instead of costing the state and people of Wyoming to control the grizzly bear population, hunters will pay the State to control the population for them.

The more bears learn to fear humans, the safer humans will be. The more bears learn to fear humans, the more bear management will be done on a scientific basis, instead of reacting to bear-human conflicts.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Grizzly bears are a proven danger when in a given year, 5% have to be killed as a danger to humans and their property.

[waterhill]

Wyoming Ping. Elk 2019?

[oldasrocks]

Ya can’t control lightning strikes. You can control the bear population.

[waterhill]

BIL and I got caught in a monster storm on a mountain near Hoback Junction. We were scuttling down a creek hardcore. I will never forget that.

[lurk]

When a bear has eaten a human, the bear will associate humans with dinner.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Grizzlies like areas that appeal to humans. Los Angeles historically.

[BobL]

I wouldn’t mind them ALL being killed.

[Dusty Road]

There was a reason we killed of most of the bears in our past, not only were they a threat but also in competition. Now very few predators hold a position that man cannot easily fill. They talk about the balance in nature but many times in the past we see nature get way out of balance. Man does a better job of keeping nature in balance that nature does, eliminating the need for large predators.

[umgud]

I have no problem with this, but do people actually eat the meat? I’ve had meat from a black bear I shot many years ago and it wasn’t very tasty.

[antidisestablishment]

Bear meat is edible in a pinch, but few people can make it palatable. The skins make nice rings though.

[FreedomPoster]

Rugs even.

[antidisestablishment]

Dang spellcheck!

[FreedomPoster]

Knew what you meant, just had to poke you a little, it was too easy! heh

[antidisestablishment]

The small ones make nice rings. Lol

[marktwain]

I have eaten quite a bit of bear meat. All from black bears.

It was quite good. The biggest difference is in how the meat is prepared and taken care of, I believe.

[metmom]

The more bears are hunted, the more they will associate humans with danger. Bears with the most aggressive learned behavior will be selected out of the bear population.

How are they going to convince the grizzlies of this logic?

[riverrunner]

Very true as with a lot of wild game meat there is a huge factor in tastes is how it is cared for in the field.

Then how soon it is cooled and processed.

I eaten a lot of black bears a good bear roast is just as good as a good beef roast.

Most people do not take proper care of their wild game if a beef was taken care of the same way as a lot of game is it would taste bad also.

[marktwain]

How are they going to convince the grizzlies of this logic?

---

The aggressive bears are “convinced” by dying.

The less aggressive, more cautious bears are “convinced” by living.

Pretty simple.

[gundog]

Can it.

[Teacher317]

Man does a better job of keeping nature in balance that nature does

That seems like an awesome trap statement to use when debating an Environazi. They will almost certainly disagree, and thus the perfect retort is note that we should then close the EPA and all other attempts at balancing nature, since we cannot do it. :)