Posted on 07/17/2007 8:50:12 PM PDT by george76
Park officials are hoping to break the bruins of their dining habits. But if the bears stay, they may have to be killed.
A couple of marauding black bears have prompted Rocky Mountain National Park officials to close five backcountry campsites in hopes of shifting the bears' dining habits.
At least 13 break-ins have been reported since June 26, including nine just outside the park's eastern boundary near the Wild Basin area, and rangers fear the bears are learning to associate humans with food.
Park officials have closed the Pine Ridge, Tahosa, Aspen Knoll, Siskin and North St. Vrain campsites - until at least Thursday - in hopes that the bears will go elsewhere.
The bears have not acted aggressively toward humans, but they have damaged vehicles and broken into nearby homes searching for food...
In 2003, two campers were mauled inside separate tents by a bear at the Fern Lake backcountry campsite. A ranger shot and killed the bear two weeks later when it was seen acting aggressively toward humans.
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
Yogi and BooBoo at it again!
After that 11 year old kid in Utah who was dragged out of his tent, then killed by a ‘problem’ bear...the authorities are addressing these ‘problem’ bears by closing down campsites.
Hunting is illegal by us.
We just back from that area,glad we camped outside the park.
As we all know, bears are just mad-cap, lovable little critters who would never harm anyone. Well, that's what PETA says, anyway. ;)
Genesis 1:28 - God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
What was the feelings around the national park ?
ie : Lots of notices posted or rangers available ?
When a 300 pound black bear is clawing at the door, the terminology changes from hunting to self defense.
I did’nt see any postings other then the usual leave the wildlife alone blah blah. As for Rangers all I saw one pull a truck over for driving to slow and a whole bunch of them directing traffic near an Elk herd.
George whats up with all the regulations on catching fish in that area?
Btw I was really impressed on how nice people in that area are. I live in a tourist area and people could take a lesson from Coloradans.
Good morning : Did you see this ?
CLAM LAKE — A record nine calves in Wisconsin’s fledgling elk herd were killed by black bear this spring...
“We figure there were 109 elk on hand prior to calving,” said Laine Stowell, Department of Natural Resources elk biologist ...”
We estimated 35 calves were born. Of those, we found 23, and of those 23, six were lost to bears. Extrapolating those results, we estimate we lost nine calves total to bears.”
During the 2006 calving season, four calves were killed by bear.
Elk and deer calves are exceptionally vulnerable to bear predation for about a two-week period after birth.
And they want more than just the pick-a-nick basket.
If this is accurate ...”damaged vehicles and broken into nearby homes “ then the bears should be removed.
Small copper coated lead bits applied directly to the bears forehead is a good technique to use when removing pests.
I am glad that the locals were friendly and that you had a good time.
I do not know about the fishing reg’s there.
-06, 180 grain is the absolute minimum in my book, for a skull shot. 220 grain is much better.
I find it a little difficult to believe the bears will shift dining habits by excluding campers, I would think as soon as campers are permitted in again those bears would go back to their old habits. It sounds like there’s too many bears.
Thanks for the ping.
I have heard of that before. My gramma had a brass bell that she used to run off wild animals. It may be the resonating sounds that they don’t like.
>It sounds like there’s too many bears.<
Or too many people.
Back in the old days, one could work with the DOW.
Now it is totally different. Even a reasonable DOW officer has to look over his shoudler as eco-nuts have invaded the DOW and would report anyone.
The growing bear population is one problem. The big adults are pushing the small, younger bears out of the forests.
Even when smaller bears are re-located into big bear areas, the smaller bears are back within days. They cross major rivers, major interstate highways, go many miles...
The second problem is the elimination of the spring hunting season. The young bears never learn that humans should be feared; their whole life experience often is humans equal food.
The third problem is...
We have seen more bears in the last five years than in the previous fifty years. “Seeing” means more home invasions and attempted invasions too.
Another reason is the USFS ‘vacating’ many grazing allotments. Cowboys herding cattle or sheepherders with tens of thousands of sheep would not put up with an aggressive predator ( bear, mountain lion, coyote, dog...)
Some of those old boys were damn good shots. No need to reload.
I would love to see bears and wolves in San Rafael, Kalifornia, crapping in the yards and munching the family pets of the Sierra Club big shots.
Daily occurances, to the point where they would be hesitant to come outdoors would be wonderful.
Just maybe then they might get their heads out of their butts and see what they are doing.
*SNIF* Now that makes me mad...BUT, how much of that is just Nature’s Way? Are that many calves lost each year to predators such as wolves?
You wouldn’t believe the number of fawns lost to farm machinery around here each Spring. Also sad, but what are ya gonna do? Ban cultivators and starve the humans?
(Oh, great! I just gave PETA a new “cause.” Sorry!)
We have the same situation here in Tennessee george, the largest black bear populations in a century.
I would not be surprised to see a bear near my home this year. We had an exceptionally hard freeze over Easter, then a drought, so there will be hard mast shortage this fall.
They are repopulating eastern Kentucky (I am 30 miles from the border), and were reintroduced to the Big South Fork (very near me) in the 1990s. There’s so much development going on all around us (except in pockets like where I live) and the bears have to go somewhere when the habitat is gone. Our wildlife agency is predicting lots of bear/human conflicts this fall.
I am also close the state’s elk reintroduction project. Although they are grazers (I live on top of a forested mountain) they have migrated to the next county east of me, so good chance I could have them in the near future.
I love it, don’t think any bears here would be like the ones in the nearby Smoky Mountains (tourist fed bears that will be hungry and trouble this fall).
No food has ever been in my tent.
If you camp in Grizz country, it’s something you MUST do.
LOL! If you’ve camped in Grizz country I believe you because you’re still here. :-)
Liberals tell me that bears only eat grass and berries.
They are in total denial when the rest of the menu is explained : “ Bears would never kill baby deer nor baby elk...”
I worked in Yellowstone for a little while. Before I went, I was required to read the book “Bear Attacks.”
A couple of years later I was with my now ex-wife, camping at Glacier National Park...St Mary’s campground. I read a story out of the book by candle light. It was how a bear had taken two campers from their tent.....while they were in their sleeping bags. “Where did this happen?” she asked.
“St. Mary’s Campground at Glacier National Park.” I answered.
I still laugh at her wide eyes. She slept most of the next day because she got no sleep that night.
That was a mean thing to do to her, especially if she was a city girl. lol
We were camping at Yosemite years ago, our kids were little and that night while sitting at the outside table I decided to take a shower. We were across the road and down a few spaces from the showers at a fringe campground.
It was full dark but a few people had lanterns going. When I got back to the camp the wife and kids were laughing at me. When I walked across the road going to the showers I’d come within a few feet of a black bear that was walking down the road and I never saw it. They thought that was real funny. :-)
As bad as the bear population growth is now, we expect it to get much worse.
There will have to be a series of murderous home invasions in urban areas for some of the city voters to wake up.
“She slept most of the next day because she got no sleep that night.”
I was an inner-city kid, and MY Ex once took me camping in the middle of the Nevada desert, near Lake Martinez. Same experience for me...though it was the howling of blood-thirsty coyotes that kept me awake all night.
There’s a reason you sadistic guys are our EX-Husbands, LOL! (Just kiddin’!)
Ursa worst thing that could happen. [rimshot!]
You’ll just have to grin and bear it!
badaboom!
Liberals tell me that bears only eat grass and berries.
They are in total denial when the rest of the menu is explained : “ Bears would never kill baby deer nor baby elk...”
Some animals are herbiverous—eating grasses, fruits, etc.
Some animals are carniverous—eating other animals meat
Bears are one of the few animals that are omniverous—meaning they’ll eat anything—including you!
I’d grin, but I’m chewing some Kodiak.
Browns me off that I didn’t ‘get’ that one, but then I’m bi-polar.
“Park officials are hoping to break the bruins of their dining habits. But if the bears stay, they may have to be killed.”
Let’s try that again, but with a dose of reality:
“Park officials are hoping to break the bruins of their dining habits. But, if rangers can learn from history, the bears will have to be shot.”
Ranger Randy and Rangerette Jeanette know that once a bear loses its fear of man, it has to be shot.
If you do have to shoot one in a park, can I be on the jury?
Pretty please?
You’re one of 12 in America, that I would welcome on a jury!
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