Grizzly Bears are an Apex Predator. This giant clawed and toothed critters can ruin your day in a hurry. The worst scenario is ending up between a sow and her cubs. When Fred Bear tried to arrow his first Grizzly, the wounded bear charged him. He and his guide both used backup weapons to shoot the enraged, and hard to kill beast.
Usually when we hear about Grizzly Deaths it involves hunters, farmers, or hikers having dangerous encounters. Most American Grizzlies live in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Grizzly bears are protected in this vast area. The original population goals keep changing. At first, they wanted less than 500 grizzlies to live there, later it became 750. Today, over 1,000 Grizzly bears are living in this protected ecosystem. The bear is threatened, endangered, and not hunted. The rules and laws keep changing.
The laws of ecology are simple. In a habitat, there is a certain amount of food and resources per individual. If the population exceeds the limiting factors, something must give. Nature may take over, Diseases, migrations, or other solutions can happen.
This year, more grizzlies are dying than ever. Last year was a new record and we are on course to exceed that. So far 63 grizzly bears have died. That is just what we know about. Last year 77 grizzly bears died. The number of fatal encounters with hunters is normally in double digits, and hunting season has just begun.
Farmers and ranchers account for dead bears. Protecting crops, property, and livestock is important. Traffic impacts take their toll. Older bears also die.
Other predators have no trouble killing and eating older, injured, or sick Grizzly bears. Wolves and Mountain Lions are also Apex predators.
Drought conditions have increased. This means less food in the higher and more protected areas. The White Bark Pinecone, pine nuts, are preferred by Grizzly bears. These high-altitude pines are at just 10% of their once abundance.
With too many bears, there is less food. Wild game herds are also in decline. Elk and deer are being affected. When food in the high-country declines, the bears go on the hunt. Lowland fields are full of cows and livestock. Humans fill trash cans with attractive food scraps, small pets are easy prey, and …
Delisting of Grizzly Bears was supposed to happen years ago. TreeHugger’s and environmentalists resist and keep changing the goals and rules. Nature knows best. Limiting factors matter. If humans don’t act, Mother Nature will. Hunters are an important management tool. Maybe it’s time to use it. Fees for a Grizzly Bear tag would and should be expensive. This money could and should be used to help the other bears and habitats.
Natural Resources are meant to be “Conserved” and not just “Preserved”. Limited and controlled hunting is needed to manage this threatened population that is threatened because there are currently too many bears in a limited habitat.
Nature Knows Best but if we allow Mother Nature to take control, the population could become extinct. That’s what Nature does.
Montana Grant
