Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 34

Photographers of all levels of expertise have ample opportunities to get pictures of grizzly bears near and along
roads in northwest Wyoming. The key is to do it safely. (Photo by Tim Chrisite)

34 | December 2020

National parks have full-time rangers and citizen
assistants monitoring people and bears who live close
to highways. The parks have full autonomy to close
roads or handle jams however they see fit. Outside
the parks, however, managing grizzly bears is a balancing act among multiple state and federal agencies.
There are six agencies with jurisdiction on Wyoming
highways in bear country, and they all face daunting
obstacles. Game and Fish personnel, under the oversight of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, can assess
and deal with managing bear issues but can't enforce
traffic issues. Wyoming Highway Patrol can manage
traffic, but it cannot enforce bear matters. No one
agency can control all aspects of bear jam situations.
Keeping people away from bears is another challenge faced by wildlife managers. People often think
a roadside bear isn't a threat, so they get closer for a
better look. These situations are dangerous for people
and bears. People can get hurt when approaching a
bear, and grizzlies may pay the price when they get
used to being around humans.
Bears too comfortable with people force Game and
Fish to attempt reconditioning of the bear to keep it
and people safe. Common tools are cracker shells,
which are like loud firecrackers fired over the head of
the bear, scaring it away from the road. Hazing the
bear from the road is all that is needed to send some
bears searching for quieter pastures. But in some cases
bears eventually return.
" When people and bears mix, in situations it can
become disastrous in seconds, " Thompson said " We
must act with the public and bear in mind. Last year
with one bear, the sow and cub were separated and
people were between the two. I think all involved
parties got lucky in that situation, but our response
to diffuse the situation was met with much hate and
discontent. "
How to deal with a habituated bear depends on an
array of circumstances including the time of year, age
of the bear, reproductive status and available relocation
sites. The decision to euthanize a bear depends on the
situation and usually occurs when there are no other
good options available.
National parks enforce the regulation prohibiting
people from approaching within 100 yards of a bear.
The State of Wyoming has no such regulation. Mike
Boyce, Game and Fish large carnivore biologist in
Jackson, is often called to the front line to deal with
roadside bears on Togwotee Pass.
" I was up there most days this summer and regularly dealt with all the problems, " he said. " One of
the challenges is that grizzly bear No. 863 has become
endeared to so many they've named her. In itself, that's
not a problem, but it goes to explain how people
perceive her as this gentle, nonthreatening animal.
That mindset leads to people approaching closer and
closer. And when we have to take action, we're the

Wyoming Wildlife magazine

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