S.E. Idaho is Grizzly bear country (credit card, movies)

[banjomike]

The Eastern edge of Idaho is Grizzly country. While Yellowstone Park (just over the border from Idaho) and the Jackson Hole area are more widely known to have the bears by most folks, the Griz range widely and respect no human boundaries.

I just got through writing on another forum about some of the most common misperceptions about the Grizzly bear, sand though some of the stuff should go here.
Here are some facts:
Grizzlies are moving down from their preferred places in the high country in large part because the stands of the White pine are dying out. The White pine grows at high elevations- 6000 ft or higher- and it's pine nuts, contained in it's cones, are the bear's favored food source from late summer until denning. The nuts are fatty, nutritious, and easy to get, so for a bear, it's like McDonald's with a no-limit credit card. They will stay in a stand and gorge as long as they can.

Unfortunately, the White pine is under severe attack from the Rocky Mtn. Bark Beetle, a native species. The beetles lay larvae under the bark of all pines, firs, and spruces, and the larvae will eventually girdle the tree, causing it to die.
There have been many outbreaks of the beetle in the past, and the natural controlling force is several very hard winters in a row, with extended periods of below-zero temps. The cold eventually penetrates the bark and kills the larvae.

The current infestation has been going on for over 10 years; during this time, the high country hasn't had winters cold enough to kill off the beetle larvae, so the infestation continues to grow. At lower elevations, the dead trees fall over and rot, becoming food for grubs, which become food for bears in the early spring. White pines stay erect after they die, and only turn grey from weathering. The dead stands are called 'ghost forests'.

This has caused the Grizzly to come down to lower elevations, where it's more likely to have contact with humans.

For folks who don't know about the Grizzly:
The Griz is not like a black bear in most things. It is the top predator on the N. American continent, and will eat a black bear after killing it. It will also eat other Grizzlies, and the sows and young of bears not immediately related to them. A big bear will weigh over 1200 lbs., and I'm sure that in a one-to-one fight with any other top predator, the bear would win.

Any confrontation with a Griz is all in the bear's favor. Unlike the way the bear was portrayed in Grizzly Adams, and a bunch of movies, the bear stalks and moves through it's territory silently. They do not snuffle, woof, roar or any of the stuff you've seen. They can pass right by you and you will never know they were there unless they want to announce themselves.

They can outrun elk, deer, horses, and even antelope in a sprint, and once aroused, move with great purpose.

A bell attached to a pack announces you, and most times, the bear will move away- they don't like confrontations, but only because confrontations burn energy. A sow with cubs is very defensive, and are more dangerous than the boar bears, but they'll move away if given the chance. Sometimes.

They are unpredictable. The further away a person sees one, the better the chances are of no confrontation. If a Griz stands up, most likely he's just checking you out. If you freeze and move backward slowly, facing the bear, he's likely to let you go after standing.

But if they come after you, they'll get you. The best defense is bear spray, not a gun, and playing dead if they get you. Playing dead is hard to do, and the bear may inflict great wounds, but unless they grab you by your head, anything is better than death. If they grab you by your head, anything you do, like hitting them on the nose, poking in their eyes, shooting the bear spray, etc. may or may not work. it's all a matter of luck.

Do not think carrying a gun will save you. A grizzly can take several high-caliber killing shots and will still kill the shooter. Getting shot definitely pisses the bear off, so the confrontation will most likely be deadly, one way or the other. Many hunters hold far too much faith in little hunks of high-speed lead.

If a campground has a bear notice posted, don't even think of staying there, even if the kids all have diarrhea, projectile vomiting and you have a hard-sided trailer full of guns. A determined Griz can open up a trailer in the wink of an eye, and have at you before it blinks again. It's better to just travel on and find a Wal-Mart parking lot for the night.

Do not tempt them in campgrounds. Don't leave coolers outside a tent or trailer, do not leave any meat trimmings anywhere on the ground, and don't leave the dog food dish out. Throw away ALL garbage into the bear-proof garbage cans. If the cans are full, find another camp ground. Don't throw the wash water used for cleaning up after dinner on the ground. Go dump it in the camp ground toilet.

If you are tenting and hear a bear going after the garbage can, wake everyone up and get them close to the tent's entrance. Get out your flashlights, but don't turn them on unless you see motion. The Griz may leave once a light is flashed on him, or not. He may go after your tent, or not. If he does, get out of the tent if you can, run if you can, hit him with a stick, scream, or whatever you can do. Everything is a roll of the dice- it may work or not, including just playing dead.

If you are going into a National Forest or Park or Monument, ask if there is any bear activity, especially if you are close to known bear country. If there is, adjust your plans- it is all in the bear's favor.