Western large mammal populations: Split from Bear kills hiker

I live in nearby Idaho and hike in Yellowstone alot.Someone gets killed or mauled almost every year. I have had two close encounters with Grizz who came at me, but then lost interest. Both times, I almost pissed myself and slowley started backing up. Ruins an otherwise great day of hiking.

They are reintroducing Grizz in Idaho, and the ones that they put here are spreading faster then anyone expected. Same with the Wolf, who are killing our Elk herds.

The decisions to move grizz here are made by folks who don't live or hike in Idaho.

Yellowstone is a dangerous place to hike, but we do it anyways because it is all so beautiful. Anyone who hikes their is aware of the danger, my thoughts go out to this man's family but he also probably went out the way he wanted to.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

I live in nearby Idaho and hike in
They are reintroducing Grizz in Idaho, and the ones that they put here are spreading faster then anyone expected. Same with the Wolf, who are killing our Elk herds.

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In northern Idaho, the same complaints about wolves are heard loud and often, yet special hunts are held to reduce elk numbers and protect crops. How many people are killed yearly by collisions with elk? If hunters are used to unnaturally high elk numbers and insist on maintaining that situation I have no sympathy.
Grizzleys, meanwhile have no record of killing or mauling anyone up north. I hike in grizzly country often, and sleep soundly.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

I live in nearby Idaho and hike in Yellowstone alot.Someone gets killed or mauled almost every year. I have had two close encounters with Grizz who came at me, but then lost interest. Both times, I almost pissed myself and slowley started backing up. Ruins an otherwise great day of hiking.

They are reintroducing Grizz in Idaho, and the ones that they put here are spreading faster then anyone expected. Same with the Wolf, who are killing our Elk herds.

The decisions to move grizz here are made by folks who don't live or hike in Idaho.

Yellowstone is a dangerous place to hike, but we do it anyways because it is all so beautiful. Anyone who hikes their is aware of the danger, my thoughts go out to this man's family but he also probably went out the way he wanted to.

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No offense, but come on now, how many elk are still running around in Idaho? Maybe 15,000 thousand or more? Wolves killing them off? Don't think so......I'm sure high paying elk hunters are killing them off much, much faster (and yes I've been to Idaho a million and one times, going again this August).

Let me tell you, the Elk herds are down almost 60% in just ten years. Hunters never took the numbers down that low before for as long as Idaho Fish and Game has kept stats. I know five forest rangers and many BLM employees and they too are in favor of moving the Wolf out. Best area is in Canada, along with the Grizz.

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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Originally Posted by double d

No offense, but come on now, how many elk are still running around in Idaho? Maybe 15,000 thousand or more? Wolves killing them off? Don't think so......I'm sure high paying elk hunters are killing them off much, much faster (and yes I've been to Idaho a million and one times, going again this August).

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I hike in Glacier almost every year. Tell ya what, someday you will walk up on momma bear and her cubs, and she will run at you head low and full speed. If she stops or just runs you off, after you clean your pants out and climb into your tent, tell me later how soundly you sleep that night.

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Originally Posted by Feral Bill

In northern Idaho, the same complaints about wolves are heard loud and often, yet special hunts are held to reduce elk numbers and protect crops. How many people are killed yearly by collisions with elk? If hunters are used to unnaturally high elk numbers and insist on maintaining that situation I have no sympathy.
Grizzleys, meanwhile have no record of killing or mauling anyone up north. I hike in grizzly country often, and sleep soundly.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

Let me tell you, the Elk herds are down almost 60% in just ten years. Hunters never took the numbers down that low before for as long as Idaho Fish and Game has kept stats. I know five forest rangers and many BLM employees and they too are in favor of moving the Wolf out. Best area is in Canada, along with the Grizz.

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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Those eastern states that are over run with deer could use some wolves.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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When a bear or wolf makes its way to close to "civilization" they are trapped and released back into the mountains.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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Well then you must have missed it. Red wolves were reintroduced into the Smokies a few years back as well as elk. Griz were never natives.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

I live in nearby Idaho and hike in Yellowstone alot.Someone gets killed or mauled almost every year. I have had two close encounters with Grizz who came at me, but then lost interest. Both times, I almost pissed myself and slowley started backing up. Ruins an otherwise great day of hiking.

They are reintroducing Grizz in Idaho, and the ones that they put here are spreading faster then anyone expected. Same with the Wolf, who are killing our Elk herds.

The decisions to move grizz here are made by folks who don't live or hike in Idaho.

Yellowstone is a dangerous place to hike, but we do it anyways because it is all so beautiful. Anyone who hikes their is aware of the danger, my thoughts go out to this man's family but he also probably went out the way he wanted to.

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You sound as though you want the wilderness experience without the "wild" part. I see the same here in the east with the fear of reintroducing the mountain lion.

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Originally Posted by feral bill

those eastern states that are over run with deer could use some wolves.

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nimby!!!!!!!!!!!!:d:d:d

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

Let me tell you, the Elk herds are down almost 60% in just ten years. Hunters never took the numbers down that low before for as long as Idaho Fish and Game has kept stats. I know five forest rangers and many BLM employees and they too are in favor of moving the Wolf out. Best area is in Canada, along with the Grizz.

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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Amen brother! Always a bunch of Yankees wanting to tell the stupid people in the West how to run their lands. Personally, I think relocating grizzlys and coywolves to the NE is a great idea, native or not. If it's a good idea for some of us, it should be a good idea for all of us.

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Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

Let me tell you, the Elk herds are down almost 60% in just ten years. Hunters never took the numbers down that low before for as long as Idaho Fish and Game has kept stats. I know five forest rangers and many BLM employees and they too are in favor of moving the Wolf out. Best area is in Canada, along with the Grizz.

Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?

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OKay, thanks for your comments, but.......two points: give me your accurate data sources (outside of hearsay) with the 60% quote, I highly, highly doubt your elk numbers are based on wolf kills (now....robents and rabbits, that would be different!) and my second point: many areas of Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and even Colorado (a state I lived in for many years) have prime areas for wolves that humans and predators can co-exist, maybe moving more of them to Canada is a version of NIMBY for the states. Also, I have no problem hiking in Grizz and wolf country, do it all the time each summer and I'm gonna be out in Idaho-Montana in late July-early August to do just that-no problems if one takes the time to understand hiking with common sense out West.

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Originally Posted by skinewmexico

Amen brother! Always a bunch of Yankees wanting to tell the stupid people in the West how to run their lands. Personally, I think relocating grizzlys and coywolves to the NE is a great idea, native or not. If it's a good idea for some of us, it should be a good idea for all of us.

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Haaa....I like your way of thinking in terms of using age old stereotypes of us Northerns and folks from the N.E., but....you Texans helped to lose the big war of 1861-1865, so some of us Yankees still get to help in making the rules for you fellers' down in Texas, especially for those with "all hat and no cattle" types down in your state.

Keep it civil folks, no need to paint each other with such broad strokes.

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Originally Posted by Alligator

Keep it civil folks, no need to paint each other with such broad strokes.

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True! Very interesting topic

Shucks, Just relocate the people.

I hike in Grizz/wolf country all the time and I love it. Yeah, you have to be careful and always mindful of what your doing, and I'll admit it's tougher to sleep. But they add to the savagery and the experience of being in the wild. I'm proud that these big predators are still here.

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Originally Posted by Sierra Echo

When a bear or wolf makes its way to close to "civilization" they are trapped and released back into the mountains.

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Our is it "civilization" makes it way to close to bear and wolf habitat?

"Funny, I don't see any posts on here about relocating Wolf or Grizz back east! What, you guys don't want them in Georgia, Maryland, or along the trail that you hike on or the land that you hunt on? You don't want Grizz in the forests behind the house that your kids play in?"

Hey, don't be draggin' Maryland into this, we don't want no stinkin' Grizz or Wolves here!

We've got enough problems with the coyote killing pets. You know when they've moved into your neighborhood, people's dogs and cats start going missing.

yankees bless their hearts