Griz still walking around....

[mntnguide]

Been guiding snowmobile trips around the forest and up in yellowstone heavy for the past few weeks now....We still have a few grizzlies running around through the valley. One in particular has 3 cubs with her still. . I am aware plenty that bears have the tendency to come out for a walk around in the early spring and go back in for a while more. But never have i heard of a bear still running around in 4 feet of snow in January with cubs. I have heard they will not go into hibernation if they do not have the fat saved to survive the winter. If thats the case..

 

[jenbickel]

That's crazy!!

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Ya no dout. We have had some weird weather here in Nv no snow at all. Not even at 9k feet. All of the animals aren't were they normally would be. Are you seeing some weird weather that my cause this?

 

[jenbickel]

I know here in North Central Wyoming were definitely having some weird weather. 50 degrees and no snow in January is like unheard of for here!

 

[mntnguide]

Well its weird in the fact we havent had a ton of snow yet, but up where the female with 3 cubs is running around is about 4 feet of snow. There are no big game around the area, some buffalo way up in yellowstone, but all elk have migrated far out of the area. The park rangers try to say she is healthy and all is fine...but from personal observation would say that is far from the case. and personally have no problem with that situation. . . They are a dang nuisance up around here during season. we could use a few less

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Well its weird in the fact we havent had a ton of snow yet, but up where the female with 3 cubs is running around is about 4 feet of snow. There are no big game around the area, some buffalo way up in yellowstone, but all elk have migrated far out of the area. The park rangers try to say she is healthy and all is fine...but from personal observation would say that is far from the case. and personally have no problem with that situation. . . They are a dang nuisance up around here during season. we could use a few less

I would think if she isn't healthy as they say it will be a big problem if she gets close to people. Could turn out to be a bad deal.

 

[jenbickel]

I would think if she isn't healthy as they say it will be a big problem if she gets close to people. Could turn out to be a bad deal.

That's what I was thinking!

 

[IdahoHombre]

This morning I saw that the forecast high today in Island Park is 39°, and was wondering about the bears. Thanks for the report. It is weird weather indeed. I'm in Moscow, ID today, and it's 40° this morning. Got my sleeves rolled up.

I wonder what biological effect it has on grizzlies when their nap time is significantly shorter than usual.

 

[HuntWYODon]

A griz not hibernating at that elivation and in Jan. ??? WOW ! How old do the cubs look ? It hasn't been that warm there though. I follow the weather in Cody everyday. I think something in particular with that bear is going on. You may be right with the fat/hunger idea. You are also right about too many grizzlies ! They have absolutely no fear of man. In the last 15 yrs. around Cody, North and South Fork, Sunlight Basin, all over, I have seen more than twice as many. Sometimes it's scarey packin out an animal by yourself and in the dark even more. A dog around is good to have to warn you. A short barelled 12 ga. with 00 buck and slugs is good at night too ! My S&W 460 across my chest with the 12 ga. is even better ! The Park Rangers should watch that bear to see what it's up to. I know there's no tourist in the Park now but maybe it will eye a buffalo ??? 3 cubs too...Healthy bear. I thought they were going to close snowmobiling down in the Park ? Or was that just personel not guided ?

 

[mntnguide]

Snowmobiling in the park is only for guided trips. they got rid of personal sleds about 5+ years ago. Also lots of regulations on what type of sleds we can have. Enviros are sure trying to get us shut out of there due to the MASSIVE noise pollution we make....ridiculous. Just another chance for them to put money in there bank accounts.. Yea the rangers are watching her close, she is the "famous" bear 399.. which is very well known around this area to the tourists during summer. I run into constantly trucking horses up to the trailhead during both summer and fall. On top of that where we have our backcountry area all fall, we run into griz on a daily basis, and most days see multiple bears on one ridge. Its getting quite out of control. We have our fare share of wolves also, but i havent had to run from a wolf that was dead set on taking a clients bull.

 

[xtreme]

Island Park in winter is one bueatiful place. Some friends and I use to met in West Yellowstone every winter and snowmobile outside the park, I have gone on an unguided trip inside the park. I had heard through the enviros that the gate attendants were dying of two stroke smoke so I had to see for myself, no such problems occured. Speed limits inside the park were 35mph. Enviros said the sleds scared the animals so bad they wouldnot breed. A bull buffalo is not affraid of anything, another enviro lie.
There was a resturant in the woods south of West Yellowstone run by an elderly man who was also a sheep raiser. He had a goood pasture except for griz. He killed two griz and after the second one the park rangers made him move his sheep to a dry pasture.
I helped support the Blue Ribbon Coalition for years as they struggled with the enviros and courts. It is always the same, faus science, and back to court every year.

 

[xtreme]

Last I heard the park rangers were still on two stroke snowmobiles while I have to use a 4 stroke BAT best available tech and even though attendance is way down, no park rangers lost their jobs.

 

[*******]

All my life I have seen grizz up and moving all winter. The key to remember is that a grizz does not go into a true 'hibernation' from a biologist standpoint. They slow down there metabolism and they don't move, but it isn't the kind of hibernation most people think of. I have seen grizz up in 15 feet of snow at 9000ft in the middle of January at -40F. Most commonly they are just up stretching their legs and looking for a snack.
My favourite encounter with a winter bear was when I was travelling my helicopter doing looking for wintering caribou. We saw a big boar wandering around just bellow tree line and watched him for a bit. He sniffed around some stumps for a while and started digging. Once he was way down we saw him reach his head down into a hole and shake around a little bit. Then he pulled a full grown black bear up onto the snow and started gnawing into it. The grizz must have snapped its neck right in its den and pulled it out. Later that day the grizz wandered back into its own den. The grizz was big and healthy looking. I figure he was just bored and wanted a snack.

 

[Bitterroot Bulls]

All my life I have seen grizz up and moving all winter. The key to remember is that a grizz does not go into a true 'hibernation' from a biologist standpoint. They slow down there metabolism and they don't move, but it isn't the kind of hibernation most people think of. I have seen grizz up in 15 feet of snow at 9000ft in the middle of January at -40F. Most commonly they are just up stretching their legs and looking for a snack.
My favourite encounter with a winter bear was when I was travelling my helicopter doing looking for wintering caribou. We saw a big boar wandering around just bellow tree line and watched him for a bit. He sniffed around some stumps for a while and started digging. Once he was way down we saw him reach his head down into a hole and shake around a little bit. Then he pulled a full grown black bear up onto the snow and started gnawing into it. The grizz must have snapped its neck right in its den and pulled it out. Later that day the grizz wandered back into its own den. The grizz was big and healthy looking. I figure he was just bored and wanted a snack.

Awesome story.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Yeah, noise pollution when there are no tourists in the park ... You are so right. Last time I was in the Park driving through to the east gate to get to Cody in Nov. 2002 I saw a wolf just trotting down the road going the other way. Could of cared less about me. It was almost all white. Drove for almost 2 hrs. to get through the Park. Lots of snow and ice. Was the last day before the closed it that Sun.. Never saw another person or vehicle for 180 mi. or whatever it is. Only buffalo ! It was a one track road through the snow going up out and a whole herd was coming down the road. They split on both side of my truck. The right side was a long way down. They were brushing up against my truck on both sides ! Scarey sh*t ! I know what you mean packin out elk. A few yrs. ago packing out an elk I saw 4 different grizzlies going up and 5 different ones going down the other side.