JACKSON HOLE, WYO – This time of year grizzlies, like many species of wildlife, are especially active. State game officials have noted increased nuisance behavior in bears this fall.
This weekend Game and Fish personnel dealt with several situations involving grizzly bears and humans in northwest Wyoming.
In one instance, at least four grizzly bears were found occupying a corn maze near Clark. Near Wapiti, three grizzly bears were frequenting a residential area eating pet food and were filmed trying to enter the backdoor of an occupied house. There have also been incidents where bear spray was deployed by people dealing with aggressive acting bears, as well as a situation where hazing and aversive conditioning techniques were used to resolve a conflict.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges people to be safe and take precautions to prevent bear conflicts, even in areas where grizzly bears are not normally found.
Game and Fish is currently assisting the US Fish and Wildlife Service on two law enforcement investigations involving grizzly bears allegedly acting aggressively towards hunters—one outside of Dubois and one in the Beartooth Mountains.
“In Park County this weekend our employees have been very active in trying to resolve situations where bears that pose a risk to people. We remind everyone that grizzlies are in places people may not expect and that this is the time of year when bears are seeking high calorie food as they prepare to hibernate,” said Brian Nesvik, Chief Game Warden for Game Fish.
Nesvik also reminded people to secure human and pet food, garbage and big game meat to ensure bears aren’t inadvertently attracted to places near people.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a program devoted to reducing conflicts with bears and keeping people safe. It’s called Bear Wise and there are many resources on Game and Fish’s website.
Grizzly bears are now considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to a judge’s decision last week. This change means that the final decisions about law enforcement and how to deal with bears that get into conflicts with people are made by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Research trapping in Grand Teton NP
In other grizzly bear news, research and trapping operations will occur in Grand Teton National Park from now through mid-November. Park biologists in cooperation with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team will conduct this research to monitor the population of grizzly bears as part of ongoing efforts required under the 2016 Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
When bear research and trapping activities are being conducted, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. For bear and human safety, the public must respect these signs and stay out of the posted areas.
Trained professionals with the interagency team will bait and trap grizzly bears in accordance with strict protocols. Once trapped, the bears are sedated to allow wildlife biologists to collar the bears and collect samples and data for scientific study.
