MT Grizzly Bears Killed

[MT_elk]

I know there are always two sides to every story. That being said, I would think the land owner had a right to protect his livestock. He should have tried another way to get the bears away and call FWP.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.co...cle_93f95612-38e8-537c-974a-4007fb41608c.html

 

[Gr8bawana]

Like you said there are two sides to this story. Perhaps he should have called FWP the first time the bears killed his chickens.

 

[sra61]

That Bozeman article was a very one-sided and very small part of the story. I'm not saying he handled it well, but a lot of people up here live with the damn things in their back yards. I know a guy that has 100 year old apple trees in his yard that his Grandfather planted when they first came to the valley. Of course the griz are all over them in late summer/early fall. He came home one day to find two FWP people in his yard. When he asked what they wanted they informed him that they had a collared sow that was transmitting a signal from the immediate area around his house. When he asked how long they had known it, they told him a couple of days. It turned out that she had ditched the collar and was gone, but what the heck? A lot of people up here have to deal with the griz in their yards have had dealings with FWP and have the impression that the bear has far more rights than they do where FWP is concerned, so to hear that someone might feel like they had no choice but to protect their property and family without hoping for help from FWP to rid them of the problem just doesn't surprise me at all. My personal feeling is that there are way more of them than they want people to know, and one of these days some little kids playing in their yard are gonna pay the price! Back when Vic Workman was head of FWP and was hunting up by Upper Whitefish Lake and was charged by a griz and shot at it, he gave an interview where he voiced his opinion of how he felt like there were more than enough grizzlies in NW MT to support sport hunting, and boy was he out the door and shut up real quick like!

 

[RobG]

I lived just down the road in high school 30 years ago... The guy was a dumbass for shooting at them with a .22. I expect he was just trying to scare them away, but he's lucky the neighbor didn't run into them when wounded.

But the bears are down there every spring getting into trouble.

Here is a little more extensive article. http://www.ktvq.com/story/29168070/...5k-in-restitution-for-killing-3-grizzly-bears

 

[Straight Arrow]

...the impression that the bear has far more rights than they do where FWP is concerned,

I'm sure you realize that when it comes to certain species (ie: "endangered" grizzlies) there are laws, regulations, and policies on the books that FWP had nothing to do with. FWP is, however, required to follow them and enforce them.

 

[Bambistew]

Sounds like he solved the problem. Should have used a bigger gun though, better chance they could find them and salvage the pelts.

 

[sra61]

I'm sure you realize that when it comes to certain species (ie: "endangered" grizzlies) there are laws, regulations, and policies on the books that FWP had nothing to do with. FWP is, however, required to follow them and enforce them.

Kind of the point is that maybe they shouldn't still be called endengered! Up here, there sure are a lot of them.

 

[RobG]

I just talked with a friend who lives down the road. FWP had been trying to get those three and another bear for some time but they kept avoiding the traps. The FWP is always killing problem bears up there in the spring and I expect these were next on the list. I remember pictures showing up on my friends FB pages until I heard that someone had shot three. He wasn't a hunter so all he had was a .22. The people I know up there know better than to shoot a bear with any gun that wasn't attacking - I guess he figured it was just a big BB gun. On the other hand another bear showed up dead a couple years ago so the shoot and shuddup crowd lives.

Anyway, we are trying to figure out what two months in pre-release prison means... the guy got himself in a lot of trouble. Death threats all that jazz.

Apparently right now there are 6 different grizzlies down by Eastman Dr. which is between Ferndale and the river. They tried to get into some pigs that had an electric fence around them. People have been there a long time and got used to living without grizzlies and it will take some time before they figure out how to coexist.

 

[mtmuley]

People have been there a long time and got used to living without grizzlies and it will take some time before they figure out how to coexist.

This is going to happen more and more. With some disasterous results I bet. Can't wait to get them in the Bitterroot/Selway. More of them anyway. mtmuley

 

[RobG]

Here is the court document with some background that matches my friend's story.

 

[Straight Arrow]

they shouldn't still be called endengered

I think you will find overwhelming agreement here about that.

 

[RobG]

This is going to happen more and more. With some disasterous results I bet. Can't wait to get them in the Bitterroot/Selway. More of them anyway. mtmuley

Well, maybe the $15,000 fine + jail will cause people to be a little smarter in dealing with them and preventing conflicts.

 

[Hunts]

Seems like 12 gauge rubber slug rounds would do the trick.

 

[OriginalOscar]

It's damn chickens!!! I would have bought him new ones.

 

[1976]

Chickens today 4 legged stock tomorrow, when it comes to bears especially grizzlies there has to be zero tolerance when they enter mans domain. Just my thoughts

 

[jryoung]

It's damn chickens!!! I would have bought him new ones.

I bought new ones after they burned my house down. Fool me once......

 

[shoots-straight]

Chickens today 4 legged stock tomorrow, when it comes to bears especially grizzlies there has to be zero tolerance when they enter mans domain. Just my thoughts

What happens when man enters the Grizzlies domain, and then sets up house?

 

[MontanaWild]

So what kind of land does your house sit on?

What happens when man enters the Grizzlies domain, and then sets up house?

 

[MontanaWild]

This is pretty much the reality. Talk to the government trappers on the Front and they'll have plenty of stories along these lines. It's natural for a bear to do this but as the top predator we aren't going to be ok with it. Grizzlies need to be managed through hunting, hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

Chickens today 4 legged stock tomorrow, when it comes to bears especially grizzlies there has to be zero tolerance when they enter mans domain. Just my thoughts

 

[OriginalOscar]

This is pretty much the reality. Talk to the government trappers on the Front and they'll have plenty of stories along these lines. It's natural for a bear to do this but as the top predator we aren't going to be ok with it. Grizzlies need to be managed through hunting, hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

Agreed with management through hunting and that goal gets much harder when someone kills three bears over chickens.