Fremont Residents: Limit Grizzlies to Parks

Casper Star-Tribune ^ | December 10, 2004 | Brodie Farquhar

[hardhead]

RIVERTON -- More than 300 people crowded into the conference facility of the Riverton Holiday Inn Tuesday night, most to protest the grizzly bear occupancy management plan presented by officials of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The informational meeting, followed by a rancorous question-and-answer session that lasted until 11 p.m., was supposed to explain how the grizzly bear would be managed in Wyoming being removed from federal protection.

Quite a few members of the audience sported large, cardboard lapel pins featuring a grizzly bear behind a picket fence, with the caption, "No griz in my backyard."

Conservationists were in a distinct minority. Several said they felt intimidated by the angry crowd and left early.

The Game and Fish Department's plan does not provide for grizzly bears in the southern Wind River Mountains, a concession to local people who say the animals would interfere with human recreation there. But people at Tuesday night's meeting said the plan shouldn't even allow grizzlies outside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

[hardhead]

I went to this meeting - the tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. The room was filled with ranchers who raise America's future steaks and legs of lamb. The general attitude of the biologists was 'it doesn't matter how you feel, its going to happen anyway.'

[Politicalities]

"We're here! We're queer! We don't want any more bears!"

[Birdstrike]

But Grizzlies are our friends...

[Delphinium]

The general attitude of the biologists was 'it doesn't matter how you feel, its going to happen anyway.

Thats the way they are.

These bureucrats have no respect for their boss.

[hardhead]

Its funny you should mention that but one of the POd ranchers shouted at the biologist 'who do you work for?' He answered, 'for the Game and Fish Department'. 'Who does the G&F work for?' Answer: The governor. 'Who does the governor work for?' He wouldn't answer that. Bureaucrats find the idea detestable that they work for the people.

[joesnuffy]

Bureaucrats find the idea detestable that they work for the people.

They forgot that "we the people" supplanted The King...many years ago....

Hopefully the griz find biologists taste like chicken...the real problem isnt how to manage the bears but how to manage the biologists aka government.

[glorgau]

Hell, lets go one better and just limit them to zoos. Same goes for all that other pesky "wildlife".

[Tribune7]

Is the gov going to put up with this?

[hardhead]

I wouldn't bet on it! The state is suing the feds over the wolf re-introduction plan.

[Delphinium]

It is almost unbelievable, but true but they are trying to do here in Idaho where I live.

It's are land, our water!

It's as if many, especially our legislators have given up.

We have been fighting so long, and they keep coming back with another extreme asault on our state, and private property rights, one after another.

[Delphinium]

We're here! We're queer! We don't want any more bears!"

Now that is a great idea!

They might listen to us then.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Conservationists were in a distinct minority.

I think the author meant "environmental extremists". No conservationist would favor releasing grizzly bears in populated areas.

[Politicalities]

It's from The Simpsons.

[hosepipe]

Hope somebody told the grizzleys that....(to stay in the park)
<"img src=http://www.jedisparadise.co.uk/childrenstv/Deputy%20Dawg/Deputy%20Dawg5.jpg">

[hosepipe]

Hope sombody told the Grizzleys that.. (to stay in the park)

[geopyg]

I was in Idaho 8-9 years ago on some work. They had just reintroduced a few wolves into the area.

Someone had shot one of the wolves, hung it on a fence-post by the highway with a sign:

Sheep 1, Wolves 0

[Citizen Soldier]

Is this near Glacier Natl Park? I was there in October and became interested in grizzly attacks. I read "Night of the Grizzly" which was fascinating in a sick way. We had lecturers on bears and wolves. I think any bear or wolf should be shot if it is on private ranchland and is a threat to livelihoods.

I read the way to tell if a bear is a black bear or a grizzly is to climb up a tree. If it climbs up after you it's a black bear. If it pulls the tree out of the ground it's a grizzly.

[hardhead]

I haven't read the book, but saw the movie with Clint Walker (remember, 'Cheyenne'). It's an old movie but was very graphic for it's time. This plan is to open up a "four-legged highway" from Yellowstone southward. There was an incident here recently where two hunters were attacked by a juvenile griz, about 800 pounds. The bear was holding one of the hunters down and then went after the other. Fortunately he had a .45 that fit nicely in the bear's mouth and he was able to pull the trigger as the shell exploded upward.

[Citizen Soldier]

I had not read that incident. The book I read had a lot of encounters with grizzleys and the first hand accounts of ones who survived. And then some didn't. It really is an interesting book.

The bear expert who spoke to us talked about this Canada to Yellowstone bear corridor they want to create. They need to acquire the land to do it. Hmm.... I wonder where it will come from? /sarcasm>

After we left Glacier we drove up into the Canadian Rockies and passed under one of the useless multimillion dollar bear crossing overpasses over the TransCan Hwy. They can't even get the wolves to cross over on them, much less the bears. They really aren't that wide and cannot hide the traffic noise, i.e. trucks.

Do you have a can of Counter Assault? The bear experts at Glacier HIGHLY recommend it as the best bear repellent spray but I read about a guy in Glacier who decided to be smart and rub himself down in it before he went to bed and the bear who ate him during the night probably thought, "Yummy, seasoned meat". They also said those bells hikers wear are dinner bells for bears.