MT Grizzly Bears Killed

RobG · May 28, 2015

You aren't going to have a zero tolerance for bears or you aren't going to have bears in the Swan Range - which isn't an option. They need some area to be in during the spring before they move up high and the whole area has people.

Hunting ("management") isn't going to take care of the problem either, as you aren't going to reduce the population that much. Most of the bear problems I hear of up there are ones involving chickens in the spring. People up there are going to have to learn to have a cleaner camp and maybe buy their eggs at a store (like they did in the old days).

mtmiller · May 28, 2015

sra61 said:
My personal feeling is that there are way more of them than they want people to know...

What would be the rational and who are they?

Gunner46 · May 28, 2015

Introduce 100,00 free range chickens ? Just thinkin' outta the box.

No wait, LA chicken huggers would buy lawyers to lobby DC over the historic "natural home land" of the endangered white feathered, ground feeding indigenous fowl, depredated by carnivorous omnivores within the west sub-basin Rocky Mountain range of East Creek Blah Blah drainage.

Short thought, Never mind.

.280 Remington · May 28, 2015

Its pretty simple. really. If you can't deal with wildlife, move to town. That county has been griz habitat for forever. It should not have been a surprise to the guy that a few might find his chickens tasty. This is only a degree or two away from the ranchers who kill deer/elk/antelope for eating from their hay stacks.

Plenty of places to buy that don't come with bears, if thats not your cup of tea. I hear Florida is nice...

BuzzH · May 28, 2015

^^^this^^^

Gr8bawana · May 28, 2015

^^^this X2^^^^

Highwood · May 30, 2015

Yeah, 280. Rem is correct.

fredm · May 30, 2015

Wow, some Montana residents sound like they migrated from California and really love interactions with bears.

MN Public Hunter · May 30, 2015

fredm said:
Wow, some Montana residents sound like they migrated from California and really love interactions with bears.

I'm with you after reading the replies, sounds like a bunch of hunters turned into PETA members. I bet if a bear was attacking their dog they would react differently and we would have different replies to this article

Then I could say, its' just a dog, you can get another one.

mtmuley · May 30, 2015

Interaction with bears is inevitable if you live where bears are. And I agree, if you can't handle it, move. My concern is the interaction people will have with grizzlies if the bears are re-introduced into the Bitterroot/Selway. (I know they are moving in on their own,) The area gets a fair amount of use, and I believe people will continue to use the area oblivious to the bears presence. Confrontations are inevitable. mtmuley

Pagosa · May 30, 2015

MN Public Hunter said:
I'm with you after reading the replies, sounds like a bunch of hunters turned into PETA members. I bet if a bear was attacking their dog they would react differently and we would have different replies to this article Then I could say, its' just a dog, you can get another one.

What about your horse or kid? Oh, that's ok, we kill millions a year anyhow.
I think there is probably more bears in certain areas than we imagine. The Misson Mountains on the reservation, Hungry Horse, North Fork Road by Columbia Falls, Whitefish Range, etc would all be areas where it would be difficult to conduct accurate surveys.
The extreme environmental groups will not allow a managed hunting season. I think having a controlled hunt would benefit the bears, and restructure the food chain where man is in on top.
I know that goes against the grain in some communities where evolution is the religion of enlightened group and people worship the critter more than Creator. Preston

BuzzH · May 30, 2015

I think many of the people commenting on this thread are missing the point. Its not about worshipping bears, its not about pets, horses, or a grizzly hunting season.

Its about the fact that there are certain risks involved with living out in the sticks in Montana. Any moron that has a coup full of chickens in grizzly country is asking for problems and IMO, deserves for his chickens to become grizzly chit. There are ways to mitigate these interactions with bears, the information is out there. If people are too ignorant to understand the basics of living in grizzly country, they have no right being there and should move.

I also believe there should be a limited grizzly season in WY and MT, but this issue isn't about that. Its dumb people winning dumb prizes for their lack of 2 firing brain cells.

RobG · May 30, 2015

sra61; said:
My personal feeling is that there are way more of them than they want people to know...

mtmiller said:
What would be the rational and who are they?

MFWP started radio collaring and tracking grizz up there about 25 years ago. My dad met the pilot who was locating them and asked how many grizzlies were behind his house. The initial answer was "You don't want to know." So there you go.

(True story - they were surprised at how close to houses they were getting.)

No they aren't going to tell you if a bear is in your back yard sra61...

Here is a great story of how much they wander around up there, even swimming Flathead Lake. http://www.dailyinterlake.com/membe...cle_35d4db14-e0de-11e0-bdbb-001cc4c03286.html

I don't how much the bear numbers have increased up there but I don't remember conflicts. Many of my friends have roots going back 100 years and they got used to not having grizz problems, now the bears are wandering around towns. Saying they should not have moved into grizzly country doesn't really describe the situation.

Western_Hunter · May 30, 2015

RobG said:
You aren't going to have a zero tolerance for bears or you aren't going to have bears in the Swan Range - which isn't an option. They need some area to be in during the spring before they move up high and the whole area has people.

Hunting ("management") isn't going to take care of the problem either, as you aren't going to reduce the population that much. Most of the bear problems I hear of up there are ones involving chickens in the spring. People up there are going to have to learn to have a cleaner camp and maybe buy their eggs at a store (like they did in the old days).

And RobG should just get his meat at the store like the city folk do. Really? I would stop hunting RobG and just avoid any confrontation with animals, because the supermarket has plenty of meat for you. Oh and don't have a garden, because they have vegetables there too.

RobG · May 30, 2015

Western_Hunter said:
And RobG should just get his meat at the store like the city folk do. Really? I would stop hunting RobG and just avoid any confrontation with animals, because the supermarket has plenty of meat for you. Oh and don't have a garden, because they have vegetables there too.

Oh good God, grow up.

jryoung · May 30, 2015

This reminds me of the people that move into San Francisco, live above a busy bar and petition city council because it's too noisy.

Or get a border collie when they live in an apartment.

Or live in a fire zone and don't create defensible space.

Or buy riverfront property and build in a low spot.

There's no monopoly on stupid that for sure.

SunRiverMan · May 30, 2015

The biologist I talked with told me they had more grizzlies than they could count. I dodge them bowhunting all the time. Just saying...love the bears, but hunting will keep them running away from man. Peace!

RobG · May 30, 2015

SunRiverMan said:
The biologist I talked with told me they had more grizzlies than they could count. I dodge them bowhunting all the time. Just saying...love the bears, but hunting will keep them running away from man. Peace!

Was that around the northern Swan?

mtmiller · May 30, 2015

RobG said:
MFWP started radio collaring and tracking grizz up there about 25 years ago. My dad met the pilot who was locating them and asked how many grizzlies were behind his house. The initial answer was "You don't want to know." So there you go. (True story - they were surprised at how close to houses they were getting.)

.

Numbers are available. Doubt the folks that collected the data are purposely underestimating.

RobG · May 30, 2015

mtmiller said:
Numbers are available. Doubt the folks that collected the data are purposely underestimating.

Oh, I agree... the biologist's response to my dad was a joke (guessed you missed that) because the bears were virtually wandering around in his back yard and I don't think anyone was expecting that. I looked a little for numbers online but didn't find anything for that area.

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