In , Haaland co-sponsored the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act to permanently protect grizzly bears on ecological and cultural grounds. Steve Daines, R-Mont. However that shakes out, the Yellowstone grizzly will likely make big news this year. At its historical high point, these lower grizzly bears once boasted a population of 50, that stretched from Missouri to California, Mexico to Alaska. They span a 25,square-mile range about the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts combined.
It stretches through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, with the national park at its core. At their historical high point, these lower grizzly bears once boasted a population of 50, that stretched from Missouri to California, Mexico to Alaska.
Because of unregulated market hunting and habitat loss through the settling of the West, the bears nearly went extinct before the Endangered Species Act protections kicked in, in the early s. Out of urgency to protect the apex predator, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was formed in to recover grizzly bear populations and restore their habitats in the West.
It monitors six separate lower grizzly populations, including the GYE bears. In November , USFWS proposed delisting the species for the first time because the population had hit individuals. This determination was challenged in federal court, and by , ESA listing protections were restored to the GYE grizzlies. Delisting came up again in June , when then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the GYE bear population had reached individuals and met the criteria for full delisting.
Delisting would place management of the bears in state hands. Under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, state agencies manage wildlife populations for the benefit of the people.
That would mean Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho game agencies would need to develop and maintain a bear plan to keep grizzly numbers in line with scientifically determined healthy population figures. One key part of state-managed populations is hunting — a necessary management tool, according to nearly all state, federal, and academic wildlife biologists. Females with cubs emerge in April and early May.
When bears emerge from hibernation, they look for food and often feed on elk and bison that died over the winter. Sometimes, bears will react aggressively while feeding on carcasses. Yellowstone asks visitors to follow these guidelines to protect themselves if they encounter a bear:. The park says that while firearms are allowed in the park, the discharge of a firearm by visitors is a violation of park regulations. Bear spray has proven effective in deterring bears from defending cubs and food sources.
It can also reduce the number of bears killed by people in self-defense. The park restricts certain visitor activities in locations where there is a high density of elk and bison carcasses and lots of bears. Restrictions began in some bear management areas on March Jacob Gore was born and raised in Cheyenne, the capital city of Wyoming.
As a proud Wyomingite, he loves to share his home with visitors from around the world. Spending years in Jackson and Alaska as an interpretive nature guide, he remains a photographer, traveler, storyteller, and avid hobbyist of all-things outdoors.
Jacob enjoys bridging the connection between Jackson and the rest of the state. Sign up for our Buckrail Daily Newsletter to get today's top local news stories delivered to your inbox. Hibernation generally takes place from November to March in Yellowstone shorter farther south, and longer farther north.
As with black bears, they enter a period of hyperphagia in the months leading up to hibernation and put on several pounds of fat every day. If a female has a fertilized egg, implantation in the uterus will be delayed until December and will only occur if the mother has gained enough weight to support herself and her babies until the spring.
Once the hungry bears leave their winter dens, the carcasses that were left behind either by harsh winter conditions or the predation of wolves are their primary food.
They will also hunt young elk that are still small and vulnerable. As the summer progresses and young elk gain in strength and speed, they switch their feeding to easier prey of grubs, mushrooms, plants and berries. However, wolf kills are an important source of protein for grizzly bears, as wolves are far better hunters.
Because of this, the reintroduction of wolves to the park has been beneficial to grizzly bears. If a bear decides to take over a kill from a pack of wolves, it is very unlikely that the wolves will be able to displace the bear unless there are cubs present.
A mother with cubs will often leave a kill to protect her young. Header Credit: Henry Holdsworth. See Yellowstone's Grizzlies on These Trips.
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