rtraverdavis
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Personally, I think a few grizzlies would be pretty cool, at least in the Central Cascades of Oregon. Something’s got to cut those crowds...
WA Griz reintroduction halted
- Thread starter Irrelevant
- Start date
kwyeewyk
Well-known member
I'm in the natural recovery camp as well, focus on habitat and travel corridor improvement, fire suppression has really limited the habitat potential. I also think the proposed population objectives are too high. I honestly don't really consider the North Cascades population a real population, I think they're just transient bears moving back and forth from Canada. Several hair snagging efforts have produced nothing and the last DNA verified occurrence came from just south of the Canadian border, east of the Okanogan Valley from the Cascades. There was a photo verified one further south a few years ago, but I'm skeptical of that one. I would highly doubt any have made it to St. Helens area but I think Adams more possible, I just don't think they're staying in the Cascades much.
marshman
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Grizzlies Around St. Helens and Adams? No. Wolves are a different story, different thread. But no griz. The closest I have been to one in my lifetime is in Montana.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
100% agree. My mom spent a career cruising timber on the GP and saw two wolves. But again... zero chance at a griz, despite that I've talked to tribal members that claim they released a truck load of them in the 70's.
FI460
Well-known member
His cousin sat next to me on a barstool in Southern Oregon last year. His other cousin sat next to me on a barstool in NorCal about 5 years ago. I think I sat by another of their cousins on a barstool in Kamiah ID about 10 years ago too.
kwyeewyk
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure this is the photo from Chiwawa River area in 2008 that they said was likely a grizzly.
Here's one from a couple years later in Snohomish Co. that got people excited but they were never able to confirm with DNA. The hump almost looks like it might be altered it's so pronounced.
Blizzly Bears?
Here's one from a couple years later in Snohomish Co. that got people excited but they were never able to confirm with DNA. The hump almost looks like it might be altered it's so pronounced.
Blizzly Bears?
kwyeewyk
Well-known member
I think there's a small chance a transient bear could spend a summer wandering that far south and back up, or possibly winter and head back north in the spring, without being detected. Not saying it happens regularly or that it has ever happened, but I think possible.
SAJ-99
Well-known member
Bears certainly change the dynamic. Went fishing this week in MT in rough country. There is a road, but not much traffic. Definitely bear country. Had the same feeling walking through thick brush to get to stream. My head is on a swivel and I’m making as much noise as possible knowing it can wrong in a hurry. For some reason I worry about moose this time of year more. Not sure if that is valid, but whatever. My Mother in law asked me why I do it. I said I have to go to extremes to find fish dumb enough to take my flies.
N
ntodwild
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Secretary Bernhardt Listens to Local Concerns and Scraps Plans to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem | U.S. Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior will not move forward with a new Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North Cascades Ecosystem and the associated Environmental Impact Statement.www.doi.gov
I disagree with a couple of my friends on this. I'm playing the selfish card. I don't want grizzlies in the cascades. If they end up there naturally then so be it, but I don't support us relocating them in. Twice in the last week I thought, damn am I glad I don't have to worry about grizzlies. Once while wading through riparian brush over my head several miles into the wilderness, alone, trying to get to an off-trail, middle of nowhere lake, and the second while doing a big mt bike ride through some pretty rugged country, at dusk, again alone.
It's bad enough we have a dozen or so wolf packs in Washington now (That nobody talks about) and the WDFW really never acknowledges. My recent spring bear hunt really kept me on edge as we ran into wolf tracks daily, spotted several groups and spoke with a local guide who talked about 3 well known packs in the Blue mountains.
WDFW never talks about the wolverines that were "introduced" into the north cascades that have now been seen on game cams all the way down into the south cascades.
On a selfish note I am with others and know that the Grizzly will and has made it's way into Washington naturally. Northwest Washington has had several sitings over the past few years so it's purely a matter of time.
Those are black bears.
Hammsolo
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The wolverines have always been here. The wolves are expanding naturally and should. Grizzlies will too. We will work to manage them through hunting. They are a natural and necessary part of the system. Yes, griz do attack people on occasion, but the dangers of wolves to humans is laughable.
A 2002 report prepared for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game found no human deaths in North America attributed to wild, healthy wolves since at least 1900. Know what’s much deadlier than wolves? Domesticated dogs and cows... hahaha. Dogs kill about 30 people a year and cows about 20, and most of those are intentional attacks.
My point? Relax. Enjoy the wild. Manage all wild game through scientific study and action, including hunting. Oh, and watch out for spiders... about 7 people a year die in the US each year at the nip of the fang.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
i'm cool with all those but the grizz, at least in YNP densities.
kwyeewyk
Well-known member
That was my thought, the first one from Chiwawa I can't figure out if it's the right one, I read in one of the articles that the photo was grainy and the bear was standing feeding from a mtn ash so not sure it's the right one. There's articles about photo confirmed sightings, but then they don't include all the photos. Here's the other one I was thinking of, from 2011. There's a photo with the article, but they don't explicitly say weather it's the photo in question or just a stock photo, and they say there were 5 photos but they only show 1. This one seems to show a dished face, shoulder hump, etc, but I'd sure like to see all 5 photos.
Rare grizzly bear photographed in North Cascades
For the first time in nearly half a century, experts have confirmed that a hiker has photographed a living grizzly bear in the North Cascades of Washington.
www.seattletimes.com
Hammsolo
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Which makes sense, because they do attack people. They make me nervous too, but with proper precautions the chance is still tiny. I get nervous in the deep grass in snake country at times. I try to remind myself that I don’t know a single person that has been bitten by a snake. Bear kill about 2 people a year and snakes about 5... What gives us life, but kills hundreds of times more than wolves, snakes, spiders, bear and mountain lions? What makes up around 70% of our body, but in the wrong area suffocates us? Water of course. Let’s exterminate that mother bleepin’ h2o!
kwyeewyk
Well-known member
That's what I think, 400 bears for the N Cascades seems like an awful lot considering the density of human population and agriculture surrounding the population. I don't lose sleep over bears or dogs or cows or spiders, or even corona virus or cancer, but I can't imagine that many grizzly in the middle of Washington not causing quite a bit of trouble, even beyond attacks.
Irrelevant
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It would mean less overall trips for me because I'd need to coordinate with a partner. Right now it's mostly solo or with the kids.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Yes that is the best of the five photos talked about in the article.That was my thought, the first one from Chiwawa I can't figure out if it's the right one, I read in one of the articles that the photo was grainy and the bear was standing feeding from a mtn ash so not sure it's the right one. There's articles about photo confirmed sightings, but then they don't include all the photos. Here's the other one I was thinking of, from 2011. There's a photo with the article, but they don't explicitly say weather it's the photo in question or just a stock photo, and they say there were 5 photos but they only show 1. This one seems to show a dished face, shoulder hump, etc, but I'd sure like to see all 5 photos.
Rare grizzly bear photographed in North Cascades
For the first time in nearly half a century, experts have confirmed that a hiker has photographed a living grizzly bear in the North Cascades of Washington.
Dwreckers
Well-known member
There have been grizzlies in the cascades before. Very few. They’ve had them in the Mazama town before. Albeit a number of years ago. Their range is growing because they’re protected. Might be a number of years before we even see a small population though
Western Traveler1
Well-known member
They were looking at the wrong location anyway. Need I point out that the California State flag sports one?
SFC B
Well-known member
Add Boulder to that mix and I will write a check to help!!!!
