MTgirl's Yellowstone and Grand Teton travel thread

I think the general idea is that the momma bear is teaching her cub bad habits so they kill her before she can do any more harm. Cub will probably end up in a zoo. That's what happened after the attacks a few years ago at the campground near Cooke City.

 

Ooohhh....big mistake.... I'll be sure to post up lots of pics the rest of the summer just so you know what you're missing out on!

Seeing humans as a food source....how is that NOT a bad habit!?!

 

When I hike alone I do tend to shadow another group so not technically alone. Plus I never go to the park this time of year----too busy

Bears are omnivores....and tourists are stupid. Bad combo. Gotta protect the stupid people so the bears lose their lives while only doing what they would naturally do

In a lot of ways Yellowstone is the most unnatural ecosystem - we've basically "protected" it to death. Everything is out of whack down there because we've felt the need for decades to interfere and "manage" nature.
Look at fire management for example. For decades every wildfire was put out immediately. That upset the natural cycle of burn and regrowth then the fires of 88 happened and there was no stopping it. Human involvement is what made those fires so bad. If we had just let things be and let fires prior to 88 burn naturally instead of putting them out things wouldn't have been so bad. But we had to protect the beauty of the park and not let fires burn.
And wolves (touchy topic, I know). Everyone freaks out about the wolves being reintroduced and killing "all" of the elk, etc. Yes, the wolves killed a lot of elk when they were first brought back to the park but there are a lot of things that people aren't considering - they think wolves are bad, they kill other animals. Thats not the end of the story. The park ecosystem that most everyone is accustomed to is post fires of 88. After the fires burned out so much of the forest there were a lot of grasslands and grazing areas for the elk. There was a population boom. Older elk that normally would have died of starvation in the winters now had plenty to eat so they were surviving. And when food in plentiful there tends to be an increase in the number of calves born and surviving. The elk population increased steadily over the years. Then something else happened - the forests started to regrow and the grasslands were slowly disappearing. So the area started to get overgrazed. There was no longer enough food for the huge elk population. More elk started to starve in the winters, fewer calves were born in the springs. The elk population started to dwindle. Then wolves were introduced. Elk didn't know what a wolf was so for a while they were pretty easy targets and yes, the wolves killed a lot of the elk. But the elk population was too large for the area and some of those elk were bound to die one way or another. The elk are still there but they've adapted their habits to avoid encounters with the wolves. There used to be a sizable elk herd along the Madison River just inside the west entrance. You rarely see them anymore. They're still there but instead of hanging out in the open meadows where they would be an easy target for the wolves to attack they hang out in the trees and the wolves rarely chase them in there so they're safe. And there's something else that people don't think about when they don't see the elk - the trees regrew, blocking the views! We're used to being able to see through the burned areas for miles but now the trees prevent that. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. So have the wolves been harmful to the ecosystem? No, they've simply retaken their place at the top of the food chain and have kept a population that for so long went unchecked and unchallenged back to a more natural balance and the park ecosystem is healthier for it.

 

fewer campgrounds and fewer tourists. Best time of the year IMO. I don't usually have any trouble getting a site if you're worried.

 

Poor Mrs. Bear. And poor cubs too - lose their momma and get stuck in a zoo!

Hiker’s Death Confirmed as Grizzly Attack


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Date: August 13, 2015


August 13, 2015 15-056

Julena Campbell or Amy Bartlett
(307)344-2015
e-mail us

Results from an autopsy conducted on Monday afternoon concluded that Lance Crosby, a 63 year old Billings man, died as a result of traumatic injuries sustained from a bear attack. Results from genetic (DNA) analysis of bear hair samples collected next to Crosby’s body confirmed the adult female grizzly bear that was captured at the scene on the night the body was discovered was the bear involved in the fatal attack. Additional support beyond the DNA evidence that this female was the bear involved in the attack include: the bear and cubs were at the attack site when Crosby’s body was found by park rangers; bear tracks of a female with cubs were found at Crosby’s body; this bear was captured at the fatality site within 24 hours of the body being found; and canine puncture wounds inflicted on the victim are consistent with the bite size of the female captured at the site.

Based on the totality of the evidence, this adult female grizzly was the bear involved in the fatality and was euthanized today. An important fact in the decision to euthanize the bear was that a significant portion of the body was consumed and cached with the intent to return for further feeding. Normal defensive attacks by female bears defending their young do not involve consumption of the victim’s body.

Arrangements have been made to transfer the bear’s two cubs to a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The AZA sets strict standards for facilities with regard to animal handling and care. Details of this placement are still being finalized. The facility is expected to make an announcement on Friday.

“As managers of Yellowstone National Park, we balance the preservation of park resources with public safety,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk. “Our decision takes into account the facts of the case, the goals of the bear management program, and the long term viability of the grizzly bear population as a whole, rather than an individual bear.”

The area closures, including the Elephant Back Loop Trail and Natural Bridge Trail will be lifted on Friday, August 14.

All of Yellowstone is bear country. Hikers are encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, always carry bear spray that is readily accessible, make noise on the trail, and be alert for bears. Per park regulations, people are required to maintain a minimum distance of at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards from all other large animals. For more information on hiking in bear country and how to minimize the dangers associated with a bear encounter, visit: http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm.


- www.nps.gov/yell -