It’s that time of year when state and federal agencies working on grizzly bear conservation are holding their breath, hoping to make it through another season without a human fatality while hunters head to the species’ habitat during hyperphagia — the period when bears are eating as much as possible before their (hopefully) long winter naps.

This year has been the second in a row of high mortality for the species and Wyoming Game and Fish Department Statewide Large Carnivore Supervisor Dan Thompson said department biologists are seeing more sub-adult bears causing human/grizzly bear conflicts in the past two years, as well as the usual complaints.

“You have to expect years like this,” Thompson said. “There’s a lot of bears and people on the landscape.”

Reports around the area are consistent with U.S. Geological Survey data. The Large Carnivore Team has very little downtime as calls flood into the department. Wednesday morning Park County Pedalers spokesperson John Gallagher warned recreationists to be alert while on trails near Cody.

“Bears are being spotted all around us. Be prepared, even at Beck Lake,” he said in an email.

Three grizzly bears were spotted Tuesday east of town on the ridge between Sage Creek and Oregon Basin; just over the eastern ridge from the Slick Rock section of the Outlaw Trail. 

Residents in the Eaglenest Trail subdivision near Powell were given a “heads-up” that Game and Fish has confirmed an apparent large male grizzly bear hanging around the Shoshone River bottom near the confluence with Buck Creek, above the subdivision. 

“While not a cause for alarm, it is a good reminder that we occasionally get bears wandering through our subdivision and heightened awareness is warranted,” said a note to residents from HOA management. “This is especially true at dawn, dusk or night when visibility is limited and bears are more likely to be active.”

They are asking that residents report any sightings of bears or tracks in the subdivision to Game and Fish, and to subdivision management so they can sound the alarm. At the same time, areas south of the Cody/Powell area are also reporting more bears than usual at lower elevations.

“We have seen increased bear activity at lower elevations this year from Dubois to Lander, mainly with bears focusing on natural foods,” said Large Carnivore Conflict Coordinator Brian DeBolt. “We are asking people to be careful about storing anything that might attract bears to unnatural food sources.”

So far this year (with hyperphagia currently in full swing) there have been 63 known and probable grizzly bear deaths on the Geological Survey’s provisional mortality list. Forty-six of those reported deaths happened in Wyoming, 14 in Montana and four in Idaho.

The deaths include all known causes. For example, eight grizzly bears have been hit and killed in automobile collisions so far this year and nine have been killed by other bears. Yet, by far the largest category is for management removals.

There have been 35 lethal removals so far this year, but unlike many of the previous reports, the majority of all deaths have occurred inside the Demographic Monitoring Area of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Fifty of all 63 provisional known and probable deaths have happened inside the DMA.

“There have been a lot of years with lower mortality inside the DMA,” Thompson said, adding “But we’ve also had a lot of growth.”

Despite current mortality numbers, Thompson said the record levels have not negatively affected grizzly bear populations as the protected species is thought to be at about 1,000 bears inside the DMA and possibly as many as an additional 40% outside the DMA, according to speculation by some state officials.

There are no resources to count grizzly bears outside the DMA, according to Frank vanManen, emeritus scientist with the USGS.

Sub-adult invasion?

One interesting statistic is the significant increase in conflicts with sub-adult grizzlies.

“Family groups are everywhere and more young bears have been involved in conflicts this year,” Thompson said.

In a recent example, Game and Fish captured and relocated two grizzly bear cubs (one male, one female) in the latter part of September. The sub-adults were captured on private land for frequenting a residence after multiple hazing attempts failed to change their behavior.

In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly bears were relocated to the Clarks Fork River drainage approximately 26 miles northwest of Cody. Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool large carnivore biologists use to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears. Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. In some cases, a bear may be removed from the population if it cannot be relocated successfully, including if there is no room in the ecosystem for them.

Density has become a real problem over the past decade, and it’s possible drought is pushing bears lower while looking for forage — as well as the significant increase in humans in the habitat and other environmental issues. Thompson couldn’t be pinned down on causation because there haven’t been any scientific studies on the occurrences and Thompson isn’t swayed by anecdotal “evidence” that often concerns the general public. However, he and his team have noticed young bears — some that seem too young to be outside of a family unit — finding trouble at lower elevations.

“We haven’t dealt with so many sub-adults being removed for receiving food rewards and being habituated before,” he said.

Thompson said black bears may be reacting to the drought more frequently than grizzly bears because grizzlies have a more diversified diet.

In an effort to alert the general public, especially as hunters flock to the state this fall, Game and Fish has been running advertising at local airports, on video screens at gas pumps and by publishing public service announcements.

“We always hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Thompson said about the mix of hungry bears and hunters on the landscape.

The likelihood of a grizzly bear attacking a person is low, with most encounters being reported nonviolent in nature as bears prefer to avoid humans. However, attacks can occur, especially when a bear feels threatened, such as a mother protecting cubs or when a person startles a bear. Prevention is key, and you can significantly lower your risk by making noise, practicing proper food storage, leashing dogs and carrying bear spray, according to the department.

Thompson said those planning to spend time in bear habitat (especially in northwest Wyoming) should take time to visit the department’s Bear Aware chapter on their website.

How the public can help

Game and Fish continues to stress the importance of the public’s responsibility in bear management and the importance of keeping all attractants such as food, garbage, horse feed and bird seed unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants available to bears reduces human-bear conflicts, and in some cases, relocations.

For more information on grizzly bear management and reducing the potential for conflicts, visit the Bear Wise Wyoming webpage at wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/bear-wise-wyoming.