Quick Shot Can Have Grizzly Effect

Thu., Sept. 26, 1996

People were responsible for the deaths of three of four grizzly bears in the Selkirk Mountains of North Idaho the last few years, according to the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

The agency is urging bear hunters to be especially careful when they see bears in the Panhandle this fall.

Nearly all hunters think they know the difference between grizzly and black bears, but a few among them apparently become so excited when they see a bear that they shoot first and identify later.

Killing a grizzly is a federal offense that can result in fines of more than $10,000.

Most Idaho residents want the grizzly bear population to increase, according to state Fish and Game Department surveys.

However, the killing of grizzlies by a few careless hunters and others opposed to the bears is resulting in a small but steady drop in Idaho’s grizzly bear population, department officials say.

Regardless of whether you’re hunting bears or not, sportsmen entering grizzly bear country should bone up on bear identification and tactics for avoiding bear attacks.

Washington has two areas designated as grizzly bear recovery zones, including the northeast corner of the state and the North Cascades.

Idaho hunters could encounter grizzlies primarily in Boundary or Bonner counties.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department has prepared a new color brochure that summarizes how to distinguish between a grizzly and a black bear as well as what to do if you encounter a grizzly. It’s available free at regional offices, including Spokane’s at 8702 N. Division.

Biologists estimate there are about two dozen grizzlies in northeast Washington and North Idaho and a very small number in the Cascades.

, DataTimes

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