July 18, 2000 Missoulian article by Michael Jamison: Grizzlies encounter humans over weekend. 

One bear captured, sent to WS U for research while search continues for other.

CAG Comment

The federal resource management agencies that have been captured by environmental groups, through the help of the Clinton/Gore admistration,  want to put grizzly bears into the Selway Bitterroot Ecosystem (SBE) even while knowing there is not a quality food source in the SBE for grizzly bears.   This will just create human/bear conflicts that can only result, sooner or later in the death of someone out for a leisurely carefree stroll or just camping; not to mention the closing of various areas in kindness to the grizzly bears.

So unwanted by the folks of Montana and Idaho and so unecessary in view of the fact that grizzly bears are neither threatened or endangered.

Not by any stretch of the imagination will the introduction/reintroduction of grizzly bears into the SBE enhance the quality of life for human kind.

End CAG Comment

WEST GLACIER - A grizzly bear with a taste for river rafts and nylon tents was captured near Hungry Horse Reservoir on Sunday, a day after another griz munched a tent in Glacier National Park.

The reservoir bear is on its way to Washington State University where it will contribute to grizzly feeding and physiology studies, while the Glacier bruin remains at large, forcing a closure of the Old Man Lake-Pitamakin Pass backcountry area.

On Sunday, bear management specialist Tim Manley nabbed the 2-year-old female grizzly near Spotted Bear in the South Fork Flathead River drainage. Manley fired a tranquilizing dart into the 160-pound animal after it had approached campsites in the area, ripping open a tent mounted on the back of a pickup.

Earlier, the bold bruin swam across the South Fork and destroyed two rafts, biting and puncturing the boats.

Despite her young age, the bear had a long and colorful history with wildlife managers, and was first captured last year near Ovando. She was moved from there, along with her mother and sibling, to the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area.

Last winter, the bear denned in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, emerging in the spring to set up housekeeping near Seeley Lake homes. Because of its proximity to the homes, the bear was captured, this time for relocation into the Spotted Bear area.

Despite attempts to haze the bear from human sites, she continued to pester campers and pose a threat, managers said.

Likewise, the bothersome bear in Glacier Park has ignored attempts to drive it from human haunts, turning the other cheek when pelted with rocks by campers and hazed by park ranger gunfire.

On Saturday, campers at Old Man Lake, located north of the Two Medicine Valley in the southeastern corner of the park, bumped into the bear while cooking dinner. The bear and her cub were digging and grazing about 30 feet from a tent site at 9 p.m. Saturday, taking no notice of the humans nearby.

The campers, hoping to drive the bears from the area, shouted at them and threw rocks in their direction.

Ignoring the commotion, the bears kept digging and eating, approaching a campsite where two tents were pitched side by side, one occupied and the other empty. Intent on digging for grub, the bear clawed her way up to the unoccupied tent and chewed on it briefly.

Although she damaged the tent, campers reported it was not an aggressive attack; rather, it seemed she simply ran into the tent and mouthed it while feeding.

A park ranger, also camped at the lake, fired a round from his handgun over the bear's head. She ignored him. He fired again, and she ran a short distance, stopped, pawed the ground, and walked  off into the woods, following her cub.

After the bears left, the ranger escorted the campers back to Two Medicine Ranger Station, arriving about 1 a.m.

Currently, there is no plan to remove the bear.

We are cautiously watching the family group to ascertain whether her behavior Saturday evening was the  result of a chance encounter or behavior indicative of further conditioning which would cause us to take more aggressive actions," said park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis.

While park rangers patrol the region, wildlife managers are combing historical information on bear activity in the area, hoping to match a description with that of the troublesome bruin.

"The adult bear did not receive any human food reward during the encounter," Lewis said. "However, her tolerance of humans in close proximity - with little reaction  to shouting and noise hazing - is of particular concern."

A 3-year-old grizzly was captured Friday by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel in the West Yellowstone area and later was, euthanized in Bozeman.

That bear previously had been captured in late May in the same area; where it had become adept at finding unnatural foods at houses, cabins and campgrounds. It was relocated out of the area, but returned almost immediately.

FWP officials said that bear was destroyed because of its habituation to finding food nears humans and because no zoo facilities were available.

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