Grizzlies in the Bighorns

[HighDesertSage]

Grizzly Confirmed In Wyoming Bighorn Mountains; Bear Killed For Attacking Cattle

After years of rumors that there were grizzly bears roaming Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Monday confirmed that one has been killed for preying on cattle near Ten Sleep.

cowboystatedaily.com

 

[wyoelkfan15]

I take exemption to the game and fish director Nesvik saying the Bighorns are unsuitable habitat. I'm guessing the bears would do just fine up there, the issue is social pressures that would be in higher conflict.

 

[noharleyyet]

 

[TheTone]

Might change some draw odds for people that have been applying in those units to avoid grizzlies

 

[GigiBobert]

I didn't realize the Bighorns were un-designated habitat either. Poor communication between the Wyoming Game & Fish and the grizz.

 

[Bob-WY]

The article keeps saying "biological and social" for acceptable range. WTF does a grizzly care about being socially accepted!

 

[sccritterkiller]

They have been a few in the Bighorns for a few years now,...surprised it took this long for one to get in trouble.

 

[kansasdad]

Doing some cousin/family friends research....right in my little honeyhole of yesteryear (land has been sold a couple of times since childhood). Cow was in process of giving birth, was mauled but left barely alive. The rancher knew of the bears presence for at least a week, right next to the house/corrals/main hayfield.

Shocking development that isn't a real shock. Yellowstone is full, young ones gotta head out and make their own way in the world.

 

[warmer]

So after all the litigation about recovery, hunting and all other matters griz related, how far are they allowed to come east before they can be "removed" from the landscape? Are the Black Hills in SD acceptable habitat? I always thought that the bears knew not to leave Yellowstone.

 

[Ben Nicholson]

Might change some draw odds for people that have been applying in those units to avoid grizzlies

HaHa! I put in for 38 this year to avoid G Bears... oh well.

 

[JLDemo]

Perfect opportunity for Colorado to pick up the strays and relocate them down there. Bet they'd thrive around Estes Park, Steamboat, and on Colfax. Cocaine bear wouldn't hold a candle in the wind.

 

[kansasdad]

HaHa! I put in for 38 this year to avoid G Bears... oh well.

South end of 49 (elk zone) for this one

 

[TheTone]

HaHa! I put in for 38 this year to avoid G Bears... oh well.

38 has always been high on my option list to avoid them as well

 

[WNC2500]

View attachment 323043

@noharleyyet I was going to say the same thing

 

[atlas]

https://oilcity.news/community/anim...range-furthest-south-since-well-before-1970s/

I remembered this article from 2021. It was the second year in a row that Grizz had been confirmed in the southern Wyoming range. Depending on where you draw the line, thats about 15 miles as the crow flies from the Utah border. That's nothing for a bear.

 

[LuketheDog]

Perfect opportunity for Colorado to pick up the strays and relocate them down there. Bet they'd thrive around Estes Park, Steamboat, and on Colfax. Cocaine bear wouldn't hold a candle in the wind.

It would be more like "Fentanyl Bear" these days...

In all reality though, I'd love it if they dumped a few griz down here, that would cut down on the Front Range weekend warrior riff-raff for sure!

 

[manitou1]

So after all the litigation about recovery, hunting and all other matters griz related, how far are they allowed to come east before they can be "removed" from the landscape? Are the Black Hills in SD acceptable habitat? I always thought that the bears knew not to leave Yellowstone.

They are in the Wyoming range, Cody, etc.
They have not been contained to Yellowstone for quite some time now.

 

[J_Woulfe]

The article keeps saying "biological and social" for acceptable range. WTF does a grizzly care about being socially accepted!

I think the idea is there are areas where social tolerance will be so low that grizzlies will have a hard time establishing populations there due to deliberate human actions like harassment or poaching.