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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67 |
So how did all the plains grizzlys ever survive without whitebark pines? There were plenty of food sources on the plains for the bears when Lewis & Clark first saw them. As the bears were killed off, and pushed back into undesirable habitat (by white settler standards), they adapted to different food sources. I was being just a bit sarcastic. The whitebark pine deal is blown way out of proportion for the mtn bears. For political reasons. There are no (or very very few) whitebark pines in many of the mtn areas right now. Right above my house is a perfect example, lots of bears and no whitebark pines. Yet the greenies would have us believe that the bear's existence depends on them. The same in northern Idaho - the whitebark pine has been dying out for years, yet our Grizzly population is growing (???). The USFS is gearing up to waste more money on replanting whitebark pine, in the name of Grizzly bear food source...
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,156
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,156 |
I don't like having them around town. But there isn't a whole lot that can be done. My dad has had to bring the pickup and get my brother and me out of our tree stands before. My brother was in a stand when a sow and 2 cubs came walking up. She stood up and looked at him and wouldn't leave. That was only 5 miles from town. Dad had to come get me out of my stand when a sow and cub walked by my treestand and also wouldn't leave. I was less than a mile out of town. Seems like every year more and more show up around town. Only a matter of time until something bad happens. The school has had to cancel recess a few times in the last couple years because of grizzlies in the area. Deer Tracker I recall a news story ~ 20 years ago of a grizzly in Choteau. Some teenagers saw it walking through town so reported it to the sheriff. The sheriff chased it across the court house lawn and out of town. It is quite amazing how many have been close to town there over the years.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,235
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,235 |
The cops chased one right through my parents yard at night with lights on and sirens going a while back. Every once in a while we get a black bear or lion in town but its usually grizzlies. A bird hunter killed one a few years ago a mile or two away from where my brother was stuck in his treestand. It was a sow with cubs also. She charged him and he killed her with a 20ga. She was close enough that she slid right up to his feet. And FWP was stupid enough to do an autopsy on her to determine cause of death. I guess they couldn't see the big hole in her head with a plastic wad sticking out of it!
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 298
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 298 |
I saw one quite a ways from the Front out near Valier, MT back in 2008. I was actually out bird hunting when I saw the bear on the edge of a farm field. It was very near the Blackfoot Rez boundary.
Was once chasing phez in the huckleberry thickets near Choteau and saw tracks in the first real snow of the season.The hair on my neck stood up and the dogs and I got the hell out of there ASAP.
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,153
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,153 |
I wish those bastards would stay in the hills. I don't like having to worry about them while I walk creek bottoms for pheasants. You need a good environmentally friendly bear repellent.
NRA Benefactor Member
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Joined: May 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Posts: 2,402 |
Sounds like the bear population numbers are higher than the estimates.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,156
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,156 |
Well they say there are 1000. That seems like a lot of bears in that particular ecosystem. Maybe some can chime in who knows how much area a bear needs. Last I heard it was 100 sq miles for an adult boar and about half that for a sow.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 747
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 747 |
The cops chased one right through my parents yard at night with lights on and sirens going a while back. Every once in a while we get a black bear or lion in town but its usually grizzlies. A bird hunter killed one a few years ago a mile or two away from where my brother was stuck in his treestand. It was a sow with cubs also. She charged him and he killed her with a 20ga. She was close enough that she slid right up to his feet. And FWP was stupid enough to do an autopsy on her to determine cause of death. I guess they couldn't see the big hole in her head with a plastic wad sticking out of it! Wow! Must have been nearly point blank!
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 798
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 798 |
........ The USFS is gearing up to waste more money on replanting whitebark pine, in the name of Grizzly bear food source...
I talked to some of the USFWS/IGBC biologists and they stated this would be a ridiculous idea, even though some of the wingnut groups have advocated such. You have any links that shows where they (USFWS) are doing this or have plans to do it?
My name is Randy Newberg and I approved this post. What is written is my opinion, and my opinion only.
"Hunt when you can. You're gonna run out of health before you run out of money."
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67 |
USFS, not USFWS. The Panhandle Forest has been studying, harvesting, raising them in nurseries for a number of years and now has plans to plant them...
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 67 |
darn, forgot to add, "ridiculous" and the USFS are one and same nowadays...
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 331
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 331 |
I have a friend who has been attacked twice by grizzlies south of Livingstone while bow hunting. Just sayin'.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,052
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,052 |
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,993
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,993 |
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 7,511
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 7,511 |
I'm still waiting for a reply on how more grizzlies on the plains is a good idea...some here have posted that it was 'good news'....
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,052
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,052 |
broomd,
Here are three alternatives:
1) Grizzlies denning on the plains is good news, because some people like the idea of the West resembling, however faintly, the country Lewis and Clark traveled through.
2) It's bad news because then hunting pheasants and whitetails will have lightly more risk than your hunting partner shooting you.
3) It's good news, because it means we're closer to a hunting season, which will reduce surprise "interactions" between grizzlies and people, both because open-country bears will be more easily taken, and because hunted grizzlies quickly learn to shy away from people, especially people with firearms.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,823
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,823 |
1) Grizzlies denning on the plains is good news, because some people like the idea of the West resembling, however faintly, the country Lewis and Clark traveled through.
And those dumb [bleep] generally live outta state or in town. Let's have wolves, buffalo and grizzly bears! Yea, yea! If the idealistic idiots actually had to deal with it(aka live in the area) they might be singing a different tune. To be clear I'm all for people hunting a few grizzlies.
Last edited by SamOlson; 12/23/13.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 651
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 651 |
We've had several NE of Great Falls. Here are 2 youngsters at my neighbors. ![[Linked Image]](http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab176/larrykay47/690f9789.jpg)
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,235
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,235 |
1) Grizzlies denning on the plains is good news, because some people like the idea of the West resembling, however faintly, the country Lewis and Clark traveled through.
And those dumb [bleep] generally live outta state or in town. Let's have wolves, buffalo and grizzly bears! Yea, yea! If the idealistic idiots actually had to deal with it(aka live in the area) they might be singing a different tune. To be clear I'm all for people hunting a few grizzlies. I'm with Sam. I'd bet if you asked any of the ranchers around here if they thought more grizzlies out on the plains was a good idea, you'd have a hard time finding many that would say yes. A few years ago a rancher was having a problem with one killing his livestock just west of choteau. A snare was set by fwp and a 400lb griz was caught that nights but during the night another grizzly killed and ate half of the one that was snared...
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 7,511
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 7,511 |
The country that L&C traveled through is far from the ranched, developed land of today.
People better wake up; human fatalities and maulings are inevitable.
Can't believe that some actually wish for this....
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![[Linked Image]](http://s861.photobucket.com/user/larrykay47/media/690f9789.jpg.html)