North Cascades Grizzly Reintroduction

[Birdguy]

I took the wife and kids to Yellowstone in 2007. We did all the tourist stuff the kids did the Junior Ranger deal. Part of getting the signatures to get the free badge and cup required us to sit through several of the parks videos and read a bunch of the literature in the stations around. One of the topics covered was grizzlies and part of that was the "problem" bears. It specifically stated that problem bears were trapped or tranquilized and sent to Washington state. I assumed to the WSU grizzly program, but it was way too many bears for that. It would be interesting to know where they put them. My dad had a good friend who hunted Blewett pass in the 90/2000s he found BIG bear tracks well into late November in a couple areas. He asked a forest service guy at a restaurant in about the tracks. He as was told "they are what you think they are" but would not say grizzly and he was recommended to not hunt that area anymore because those animals had "problemed pasts" and were not afraid of people.

I see no good in having grizzlies here. I think most of the talk of reintroduction is because there is a population and just like the wolves, they will start looking for food and conflicts are coming. It's just a matter of time before Canada and Idaho gift a few wandering bears 

[GASoline71]

There are more grizzlies in WA than most people know about, they were not reported for a reason, and now even more so.
I think the grizzly bear push now will go the same way as the wolf push, release and discover.

Those 2 sentences are some scary doo-doo... I can confirm wolves have been in the Central Cascades well before they were "discovered".  We've seen and heard them them for years.

We use the areas near where the Griz reintroductions are planned.  There WILL be bear/human conflicts.

Gary

[Skyvalhunter]

Use it for what?

[GASoline71]

Hiked and camped.  South of there near Bake we hunt Black Bears.

Gary

[bigmacc]

A pardner and I found a set of bear tracks in the north valley walking along the Chewuch river. They followed the river for about a half mile then crossed. It’s in an the area where the Chewuch is basically a creek and the BC border is close. Those prints were larger than a dinner plate. We never did see the bear, the tracks were fresh and we both know what a grizzly track looks like and these looked like the ones we would see in Alaska. That was back in the late 80,s.

Then in the 90,s in a different area another buddy and myself spotted a big bear sitting on a log facing us at about 3-350 yards away. It sat on that log like a human sitting on a park bench for about 5 minutes as we glassed him hard, both of us not wanting to shoot because something just didn’t look right. From time to time the bear would turn its head where we could catch his profile, we both concluded the dang thing had a dished face! It was huge for sure, but both of us could not squeeze a trigger because we were convinced it was not a black bear. It soon plopped of the log and walked into a  thicket, sure as heck, it had a hunch back. We reported that one and were told, “ no grizzly around here, probably just a big black bear”.

I agree with wolfbait, I think there are more grizzly in this state than most know about, I also think they have been here for awhile.

[GOcougsHunter]

Did a boy scout hike in the Pasayten back in the late 70's.  Our scout master was a million years old and had been an old timey logger.  We were 3-400 yds from what he was positive was a Grizzly.  With the overwhelming number of sightings of Grizz in the North Cascades for a least the last 50 yrs, what is going to be done differently to theoretically keep the Grizz in the area?  They have been protected for a very long time and have had the opportunity to re-establish and have not done so. This is as Pollyanna as it gets..

[boneaddict]

If they want to re=establish them some where, maybe California would be a good place.

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Since there is a depiction of one on their flag it would be the perfect place and so much more land for them to roam!