grizzly bears – Syndication Server

‘Never push a slower friend down’ and other tips for bear season

Grizzly bears will soon emerge from hibernation and the National Park Service has offered humorous but also serious advice on how to stay safe.

Grizzly bears will emerge from hibernation beginning this month and the National Park Service has advised hikers to exercise common sense and avoid temptation.

“If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down… even if you feel the friendship has run its course,” the NPS joked via X.

From a more serious followup tweet: “What about your other friend? Seeing a bear in the wild is a special treat for any visitor to a national park. While it is an exciting moment, it is important to remember that bears in national parks are wild and can be dangerous.”

If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down…even if you feel the friendship has run its course.⁣⁣

— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) February 28, 2023

The NPS then tweeted a link that offers tips for those who plan to enter bear country. They include carrying bear spray, hiking in groups, making noise on trails, maintaining a safe distance from bears you see, and avoiding surprise encounters by remaining on trails.

If you do come face to face with a grizzly bear, don’t run. Instead, talk calmly to the animal while remaining in place because fleeing could trigger an attack response. Also, be prepared to use the all-important bear spray.

Grizzly bear images courtesy of the National Parks Service

“Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms,” the NPS advised. “Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.”

For other NPS tips, click here. The information could keep you and your loved ones safe in the wilderness.

Trail-cam operator reveals grizzly bear ‘near encounters’

A trail-cam operator in the Yukon Territory has shared “near-encounter” footage showing grizzly bears in front of his camera on the same days as his maintenance visits.

Those who monitor trail cameras in grizzly bear country must wonder how close they might be to bears when they check their devices.

The accompanying footage, featured by David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams, provides an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be the person who maintains the cameras.

In his Facebook post, Troup revealed how much time passed between grizzly bear visits to the camera site and Troup’s visits on the same days.

“On four occasions this summer I checked cameras on the same day as grizzlies visited, with an increasing trend in separation times, thankfully,” Troup stated. “The near encounters were separated by times of (hours:minutes) 2:24, 4:38, 6:56, and 7:27.”

The bears include a probable large boar at the beginning of the footage, and a sow with cubs.

Troup, who appears in front of the camera between bear appearances, cautioned anyone entering bear country to carry bear spray, make noise, and “hope the space-time continuum is on your side.”

Facebook followers thanked Troup for showcasing the Yukon Territory’s wildlife, but some expressed concern for his safety.

Troup told FTW Outdoors:

“I just responded to a comment of what my point of the post was so it’s not interpreted as me presenting myself as some ‘brave outdoorsman’ narrative.

“Everyone who spends time outdoors likely has near encounters with a variety of wildlife yet may not realize it. But with trail cams we sometimes capture those moments.”

Viewers will note that the first bear sniffs the camera before continuing its journey.

Wild animals have an acute sense of their surroundings and react to motion-sensor cameras in different ways.

Last year, one of Troup’s cameras captured footage of a “camera-shy” coyote that paused in front of and quickly bounded away from the device.

Troup explained that his cameras are well disguised, but added: “Inevitably wildlife can detect peculiarities in their environment, whether it’s by sight, sound or smell.”

Man charged with many wildlife crimes after ex-wife’s tip to officials

A Wyoming man pleaded not guilty to 18 misdemeanor charges, including the alleged killing of two grizzly bears.

A Wyoming man accused of killing two grizzly bears and illegally collecting grizzly claws, golden and bald eagle talons and feathers, and bighorn sheep skulls pleaded not guilty to 18 misdemeanor charges in Park County Circuit Court.

The investigation into the alleged wildlife crimes of Grant L. Cadwallader began in 2019 after a tip was provided to authorities by his ex-wife, who reported the years-old allegations amid a custody dispute, court records indicated, as reported by the Powell Tribune last week.

Cadwallader is alleged to have committed multiple wildlife crimes over a two-decade period.

A search warrant was executed at Cadwallader’s home on Dec. 20, 2019 and authorities discovered and seized eagle feathers and talons, bear claws, bighorn sheep heads with horns and electronic devices.

A forensics lab indicated the talons and feathers came from at least two different eagles and that some of the claws came from a single grizzly, North Cody Game Warden Travis Crane of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department revealed in an affidavit.

‘Intense’ moments as grizzly bears stalk hikers in Banff

Hikers in Canada’s Banff National Park on Tuesday were stalked by grizzly bears for nearly 20 minutes in what the guide described as an “intense” experience.

Hikers in Canada’s Banff National Park on Tuesday were stalked by grizzly bears for several minutes in what the guide described as an “intense” experience.

The accompanying footage, provided to CBC News by Jess Rogers, shows what appears to be a momma grizzly with a large cub emerge onto the trail behind the hikers.

Phoebe Nicholson, the tour guide, explained in the footage: “Internally I was quite nervous, but I also felt prepared.”

As the bears followed closely behind, Nicholson urged the hikers to keep walking but remain calm as they attempted to reach Consolation Lake.

The bears followed the hikers for 15 to 20 minutes at a distance of 10 to 20 meters, Nicholson said.

Although the smaller bear ran toward the hikers a couple of times, in possible bluff-charging behavior, the bears did not attack.

Said Nicholson: “We got to Consolation Lake and we kind of just watched in awe, getting our breath back from what had just happened, which was pretty intense.”

Grizzly bears typically steer clear of groups of people on a trail, so this was unusual behavior.

Nicholson described the encounter as a learning experience, and stressed the importance of keeping bear spray ready while hiking in bear country.

Watch: Suspenseful grizzly bear approach features comical twist

Footage showing a grizzly bear and two cubs approaching a trail camera takes an amusing turn, thanks to some clever editing.

A group that strives to protect wild horses in Alberta, Canada, has published footage showing a grizzly bear with two cubs approaching a trail camera.

The bears are large and the music is ominous-sounding until one cub pauses to exhibit scent-marking behavior, which inspires some clever editing.

Suddenly, the situation is upbeat and viewers might feel like swaying to the music.

The footage was captured and edited by the Help Alberta Wildies Society (HAWS), which deploys motion-sensor cameras to monitor wild horse herd sizes and behaviors.

Grizzly bears share the same habitat and HAWS has published several clips showing bears trying to run down a foal or catch a fallen horse.

Click here to view one of the more dramatic chase scenes captured by a HAWS camera.

Yellowstone-area grizzly bear linked to fatal mauling euthanized

A grizzly bear linked to a fatal mauling in July was euthanized Saturday after it broke into a house near West Yellowstone.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was called to the residence after the bear broke a window to enter the house and steal a container of dog food.

FWP staff and local law enforcement trapped the bear and her cub Saturday evening. With approval from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the adult bear was shot and killed.

The bear was a 10-year-old female known to biologists and believed responsible for a fatal attack on a woman on the Buttermilk Trail near West Yellowstone in July.

According to FWP, the same bear injured a hiker in Idaho in 2020.

The FWP stated in a Wednesday news release:

“While both incidents were assessed to be defensive responses by the bear, multiple efforts to trap and remove the bear were made after the fatal attack in July due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a high-use OHV trail system. These efforts were unsuccessful.”

The 46-pound grizzly bear cub is being held at a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Helena and will likely end up at a zoo.

West Yellowstone is just outside the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the National Park Service

Idaho elk hunters latest to kill protected grizzly bear

In the past three weeks, sportsmen in Montana and Idaho have killed three protected grizzly bears in apparent cases of self-defense.

The latest incident occurred Sept. 1, when two elk hunters in Idaho killed a grizzly bear after a surprise encounter in dense brush west of Island Park Reservoir.

The hunters were targeting elk with archery equipment but used sidearms to dispatch the bear.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game stated in a news release that after “a thorough investigation” the hunters’ actions were deemed to have been in self-defense.

(Grizzly bears are protected by state and federal law.)

On Sept. 2 in Montana, an angler shot and killed a grizzly bear after a surprise encounter on private land along Tim Miner Creek, north of Yellowstone National Park.

On August 26, two Montana hunters shot and killed a female grizzly bear while scouting in the Whitefish Range in advance of fall hunting seasons for legal game.

Both hunters opened fire when the bear charged; one was accidentally shot in the shoulder and required hospitalization.

The bear’s cub ran off and it’s unclear if it has since been located.

Each incident involved a bear being surprised in close quarters and charging in a defensive behavior.

With fall hunting seasons getting underway, the IDFG advised hunters to be on the constant lookout for signs of bear activity and heed this advice:

“When not hunting, make noise, especially around creeks and thick vegetation. Most attacks occur by inadvertently surprising a bear at close range.”

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Massive grizzly bear dwarfs storage shed; questions are raised

Images showing a giant grizzly bear dwarfing a storage shed while scratching its back on the structure have raised questions.

Photos showing an enormous grizzly bear dwarfing a storage shed while scratching its back on the structure have raised questions.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks used the images in a quiz that asked followers to guess whether this was a grizzly bear or black bear. But the answer was clearly visible in the description’s wording:

“Here is a helpful hint: Grizzly bears are generally larger than black bears and may be bigger than a small shed. Also, they can be distinguished by longer, curved claws, humped shoulders, and a face that appears to be concave.”

ALSO: Yellowstone guide saves motorist from momma grizzly bear’s wrath

If that wasn’t a giveaway, two hashtags mentioned grizzly bears and not one mentioned black bears. (See images below.)

Perhaps a better question was asked by the photographer, Jamie Goguen, who wondered on Facebook how much this grizzly bear might weigh.

Wrote Goguen: “Our old generator storage structure on Montana’s eastern front has become Brutus’s personal scratch tree. Then he took a nap.”

Goguen’s post generated more than 2,000 comments, mostly pertaining to the size of the bear. (The image showing the napping bruin reveals the telltale grizzly bear hump.)

Male grizzly bears are larger than females and can weigh up to 700 pounds. Black bears of the same sex and age class can be half the size of grizzly bears.

Grizzly bears are known to scratch against trees, power poles and other structures as a means of “scent marking” to communicate with other bears.

Grizzly cubs definite stars of this Yellowstone ‘bear jam’

Brand new grizzly bear cubs were the obvious stars of a recent Yellowstone “bear jam” alongside a highway in the park’s northern range.

During a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park I was fortunate to have discovered a vantage point from which to observe a budding grizzly bear family at fairly close range.

The first video highlight shows two first-year cubs play fighting and momma grizzly stepping in with an affectionate head nudge.

(The footage, best viewed in full-screen, was captured safely from atop a steep embankment. Images are cropped, making the bears appear closer than they were.)

In the second clip, the same cubs discover the precarious nature of crossing a creek while trying to keep up with mom. (Cute bellyflops, anyone?)

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These were the first of several bears I would encounter during three days of exploration in the park’s northern range. I observed this family in early morning on Day 1 and in late afternoon on Day 2.

Momma bear foraged intently while the cubs mostly played and explored.

Naturally, the bears attracted crowds of tourists who jammed the highway. People rushed from vehicles to find vantage points and gaze at the bears with binoculars, zoom lenses, viewing scopes, and cellphone cameras.

A park bear management specialist explained that momma bears sometimes guide cubs close to roads to keep them safe from aggressive male bears. Male bears, known to kill cubs in the hope of mating with momma bears, tend to steer clear of park highways.

Grizzly cubs on a “time out” as mom inspects something nearby. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

The cubs of the year (COYs) were tiny, born during mom’s hibernation, likely in late January or early February.

Momma bear did not appear concerned about threats from the forest or the highway. Her cubs would run off for brief periods, but always scampered back to the safety zone that she represented.

At one point, as momma bear inspected something in the bushes, the pesky cubs were placed in what resembled a “time out” on a smooth rock.

Grizzly cubs nurse between play periods. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

In a touching moment during the first sighting, in smoky morning light, momma bear called the cubs into her embrace to nurse.

More than an hour into the second sighting, with dusk settling and the bear jam having reached absurd proportions, I decided to leave. (Bear management specialists were just beginning to “shut down” the viewing party.)

As I drove west, navigating around poorly parked vehicles, I looked down the embankment and saw the bears walking into cover. It was as if they had also experienced enough for one day.

Yellowstone guide saves motorist from momma grizzly bear’s wrath

A grizzly bear cub was struck and killed just outside Yellowstone National Park last weekend, leaving behind an angry and confused momma bear.

A grizzly bear cub was struck and killed near Yellowstone National Park last weekend, leaving behind an angry and confused momma bear.

The incident occurred May 26 before dawn on U.S. 191. The driver wasn’t sure what he had struck but the collision badly damaged his truck.

According to Yellowstone Tour Guides, the driver somehow walked safely 200 yards to the tour company’s office, hoping to access a cellphone signal and call for help.

Guide David Reeves was outside preparing to pick up clients. He offered the man a ride back to his truck after the man had telephoned police and a towing company.

The man said he’d walk. But when Reeves reached the scene first he spotted the carcass of a 1-year-old grizzly bear on the highway and a clearly agitated momma bear.

“She was over the carcass and bluff-charged my vehicle,” Reeves told FTW Outdoors. “I immediately stopped and turned around, knowing that the man could not walk up to that.”

Grizzly bear family near a road this spring in Yellowstone. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Reeves persuaded the man to accept a ride and, back at the scene, positioned the tour vehicle so the man could safely climb into his truck’s cab.

“His truck was undriveable,” Reeves said. “I told him to wait inside until the sheriff and tow truck arrived, that the bear would kill him [if he got out].”

Reeves added: “I did potentially save this man’s life, or at least save him from being severely injured. I’m not sure how he made it safely away from the scene [after the collision], walking down the road oblivious to the extreme danger.”

Reeves said that as he left to pick up his tour group, he spotted the grizzly sow walking away from the carcass up a hill. Soon afterward, a friend told him that police had arrived and that the carcass had been picked up.

Black bear mom and cubs alongside Yellowstone road. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Yellowstone Tour Guides stated on Facebook: “We are glad our guide was there to help prevent this from becoming a much more serious incident.

“This was just an accident, and the man was not speeding, as he wasn’t stopped too much further than the carcass. It was dark which made it hard to see the bear darting across the road in time.”

Yellowstone National Park, in a news release, announced that two adult male black bears were killed two days later, also on U.S. 191 but inside the park.

The park added that an elk and bison also were struck recently, and urged visitors to exercise extreme caution while driving on park roads, especially at night.