WYOMING — In 2022, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured 21 individual grizzly bears in an attempt to prevent or resolve conflicts, down 46 percent from the previous year’s number of 45 grizzlies.
Of the 21 individual captures, four were female (three adults and one two-year-old) and 17 were male (nine adults, six sub-adult and two cubs) grizzly bears.
According to Game and Fish, of the 21 capture events, 10 were the result of bears killing livestock (cattle, sheep and chickens) and 10 were captures involving bears that obtained food rewards (pet, livestock food, garbage, fruit trees) or were frequenting developed sites or human populated areas unsuitable for grizzly bear occupancy.
One bear was captured at a cattle depredation site that was not implicated in the specific conflict (wildlife experts label these “non-target” captures). Some non-target bears are relocated in order to focus trapping efforts toward the “target” individual, or for human safety, and some are released on-site. Of the 21 capture events, 10 were in Park County, five were in Hot Springs County, four were in Sublette County, and one each occurred in Fremont County and Teton County.
Six relocation events took place in 2022. All relocated grizzly bears were released on U.S. Forest Service lands in or adjacent to the Primary Conservation Area/Recovery Zone. Of the six relocation events, four were conducted in Park County, one in Teton County and one in Sublette County. During the Sublette County relocation, Bear 1086 was relocated a short distance from the capture site due to the lack of adequate relocation sites elsewhere.
Game and Fish explained that grizzly bears are removed from the population due to a history of previous conflicts, a known history of close association with humans or if they are deemed unsuitable for release into the wild (e.g. orphaned cubs, poor physical condition or human safety concern). Of the 21 grizzly bears captured, 15 bears were removed from the population. Of these 15, nine were outside of the Demographic Monitoring Area, which is the area considered suitable for the long-term viability of grizzly bears in the GYE.
Removal of grizzly bears in Wyoming is dependent upon authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after careful and thorough deliberation taking into account multiple factors unique to each conflict situation.
