WILDLIFE — The summer camping season is kicking into high gear, putting more people out among wildlife, including bears.

The Grizzly Bear Outreach Project offers basic tips to help campers avoid attracting bears, which can be dangerous to people and destructive to their camping gear. 

Worse, a bear that finds value — notably food — in raiding camps almost surely will become a repeat offender that ultimately will have to be killed.

Click “continue reading” to refresh your memory on tips that come from years of case studies: 

POACHING — Maybe somebody feels proud about killing a sow grizzly and her cub in North Idaho.

But it appears to be among the most gutless wildlife crimes that's come to light in a long time.

There's a $10,000 reward for information leading to revealing, arresting and convicting  the scumbags. 

Here's the story.

WILDLIFE — About the time four grizzly bears were documented by remote trail cams in northern Stevens County last week, other grizzlies were getting into big trouble just over the border in in British Columbia.

Conservation officers in the West Kootenay destroyed three grizzly bears in less than a week after the bears devoured eight sheep grazing on a ranch near Edgewood, B.C., north of Castlegar.

The three bears were coming out of hibernation and got a taste for sheep, the conservation officers said.

A fourth was relocated after chasing an ostrich, which died. But since the grizzly didn't feed on the bird, the bear was trapped and taken to the Granby Wilderness area near Grand Forks, B.C.

Read on for details about the B.C bears in this May 10 story by CBC News.

The video above shows one of the Stevens County bears.

ENDANGERED SPECIES — Rare sightings of at least four grizzly bears in “the wedge” of land between the Kettle and Columbia Rivers in northeastern Washington have been documented this week by Fish and Wildlife Department trail cameras.

Here's what the agency posted Thursday:

A number of grizzly bear detections have been reported just within the last ten days, including photographs of four different grizzly bears in the Wedge, Game Management Unit (GMU) 105. One of the photographs was of a sow and two cubs, which is highly significant for Washington State. Amongst response measures taken so far, District Wildlife Biological Staff Dana Base and Jay Shepherd have coordinated with relevant staff from other agencies having management jurisdiction, posted bear awareness signs at campgrounds and other suitable locations in the Wedge, and made telephone advisory contacts to spring black bear permit holders for GMU 105.

WILDLIFE — This period when bears are emerging from dens and snow still prevents them from dispersing to the high country is prime time for conflicts with humans who live in rural areas.

Bottom line: the bears are hungry. Eliminate food sources that might lure them into trouble, and most conflicts can be avoided.

Following are tips for people who live in bear country from the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project:

At your home or ranch

• Do not leave human food outside where bears can find it.
• Store garbage indoors or in bear-resistant garbage cans and do not put garbage out until shortly before the pick-up service arrives.
• Keep barbecue grills clean and free from grease.  Store them inside, if possible.
• Make sure that bird feeders, birdseed, suet, and hummingbird mixes are not accessible to a bear.
• Keep pets inside at night, if possible.
• Remember: If bears have gotten into your garbage or livestock feed, remove the attractant immediately.  Repeated use of a site by bears is much harder to stop than a single instance.

WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS — A Brigham Young University study has supported previous research indicating that bear spray is a more effective deterrant to a grizzly bear attack than a gun.

See the story about the research in the Billings Gazette.

See my story package on the use of bear spray plus a video on how to use bear spray effectively.

WILDLIFE WATCHING —  Wildlife officials say grizzly bears are coming out of hibernation and have been spotted along the Rocky Mountain Front and in Yellowstone National Park.

Just before the recent snow storm, a Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden spotted a female grizzly with three cubs on the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area near Choteau.

Another grizzly female with a couple of cubs was reported west of Dupuyer.

FWP bear management specialist Mike Madel says it’s unusual for family groups to be out in mid-March. Adult males usually emerge from winter dens first, and may already be out.

Yellowstone National Park officials say bear activity has been reported in several areas of the park.

Bears that come out of their winter sleep this early focus on finding and eating winter-killed elk and deer.

WILDLIFE WATCHING — Montana wildlife biologists are sharing this collection of research camera videos featuring black and grizzly bears at bait stations — showing off some of their moves.

WILDLIFE WATCHING — Wildlife officials say they are getting reports of grizzly bear sightings at lower elevations east of Yellowstone National Park.

In response, the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton national forests have placed food storage regulations into effect.

Adult male grizzly bears typically start to show activity this time of year.

Females with cubs don’t generally emerge until late April or early May.

WILDLIFE — Alberta appears to be taking a Stone Age mentality to petroleum development in the realm of its highly regarded wildlife resources.

Read this Calgary Herald report about 145 black bears that were shot last year by Fish and Wildlife conservation officers after the bears had been habituated to garbage in the oilsands region.

Alberta Wilderness Association conservation specialist Carolyn Campbell said it suggests Albertans are far from using best practices “or even a modern attitude” toward wildlife management.

From grizzly bears to fly fishing, several interesting outdoors related programs are scheduled tonight in Spokane, plus one biggie for anglers in Sandpoint.

It's too bad people have to choose just one to attend.  Here's a sampling of the lineup:

• Fly fishing film helps anglers “Connect” with steelhead.
• 'Grizzly Manifesto” author to speak at Gonzaga.
• Bhutan trekking slide show funds opposition to Mt. Spokane ski area expansion.
• Lake Pend Oreille “state of the lake” fisheries presentation tonight.

WILDLIFE — Canadian conservation author Jeff Gailus will read from his book “The Grizzly Manifesto” at Gonzaga University this week, sponsored by the university's Environmental Studies Speaker Series.

The program will start at 7 p.m., Wednesday, (Feb. 22) in the Jepson Center’s Wolff Auditorium. Gailus plans to read from his book and discuss the future of grizzly bears in the United States and Canada.

Gailus has developed extensive knowledge of grizzlies, following them from Yellowstone National Park through the Canadian Rockies to the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (pronounced musk-quah-ke-chee-kah) in northern British Columbia.

The free event, open to the public, is titled, “A Grizzly Tale of Two Countries: Grizzly Bear Management and Recovery across the Medicine Line.”

WILDLIFE WATCHING — At least two black bear cubs were born Sunday  in a den monitored by a “den cam” that can be viewed online around the world.

The North American Bear Center in Ely, Minn.,  has compiled video of the birth (click on video above) — and the thorough bath the mother gives the first cub, which whimpers very much like a newborn human infant.

See more videos of the family as it evolves here. There may be a third cub.

The center's website has all sorts of details, photos and videos about bears, denning and hibernation.

WILDLIFE — The snow that piled up all over the region today caused trouble for a lot of humans, but wolves are in their element — grizzly bears, too, even the ones that aren't hibernating.

Washington photographers captured these photos of a wolf and a grizzly bear during today's storm.

Can you guess where each of the photos was made?

Answer will be posted later on the S-R Facebook page.

Or click below on “continue reading” and I'll spill the beans.

HUNTING — The application period for spring black bear controlled hunts opened Sunday and continues through Feb. 15.

The spring turkey controlled hunt application period opens Feb. 1 and runs to March 1.

Spring turkey and spring black bear seasons start April 15 – some controlled hunts open later. Leftover controlled hunt tags for spring turkey and bear controlled hunts go on sale April 1.

Hunters may apply for controlled hunts at any hunting and fishing license vendor;  Fish and Game office; with a credit card by calling (800) 55HUNT5; or online.

The application fee is $6.25 per person for residents and $14.75 for nonresidents. An additional fee is charged for telephone and Internet applications.

Spring 2012 bear controlled hunt information is in the 2011 Big Game Seasons and Rules book.

Spring turkey controlled hunt information will be available following the Idaho Fish and Game Commission meeting in late January.

Hunters must have a 2012 Idaho hunting license to apply.

WILDLIFE — Montana wildlife photographer Jaime Johnson braved clouds of mosquitoes to snap these photos last summer in Alaska as bears converged on rivers to feast on spawning salmon.

The cub (top left) seems to be content to daydream while its mother does the work of providing food for a meal.

“This 2.5-year-old cub was just happy to hang out with mother while she looked for fish,” he said. “Whenever mom caught one, she shared with her cub.

“Oh yeah, did I mention the bugs?”

 

WILDLIFE — Imagine the surprise of a cable TV technician who made a service call to a New Jersey man's home and found a 550-pound bear snoozing in the dirt-floor cellar.  The bear had been living there for weeks and had brought in twigs and leaves to make a cozy nest.

The repairman said he heard a growl, and saw an enormous black bear waking up in the corner. He didn’t stick around to make friends with the animal.

“I just freaked out, threw my tools, ran out of the basement,” he told reporters.

Animal Control officers were able to tranquillize the bear and relocate him to nearby public land.

ENDANGERED SPECIES — This quote highlights a valid concern wildlife managers have in balancing the biology and social status/politics of managing grizzly bears, not to mention wolves:

“I worry we will lose the general public on the side of this animal if we don't get something done. They will not tolerate lots of human mortality, and they won't tolerate being afraid of having a bear on your elk when you're hunting.”

Idaho Game and Fish Deputy Director Jim Unsworth to other members of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Commission, at its meeting last week in Montana, about future management of the species.
- Missoulian

WILDLIFE WATCHING — Grizzly 399 and Grizzly 610 — 399's daughter from 2006 that is now full-grown and raising cubs of her own — thrilled visitors to Grand Teton National Park this summer as they raised this year's cubs by roads in the Wyoming park.

But the two bear mothers have been squabbling recently over a bison carcass and elk carcasses left behind by hunters.

Read the story from the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
  

WILDLIFE SCIENCE — A Kettle Falls-area polar bear scientist is one of 29 leading conservationists internationally who are in contention for next year’s $100,000 Indianapolis Prize.

Steven Amstrup moved to Stevens County about a year ago when he retired from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center in Anchorage.

Thanks to an accommodating polar bear, he arrived with both legs.

Read the story by S-R reporter John Craig.