Governor Gregoire declares May 20-26, 2012 “Bear Awareness Week” Special resources celebrate state’s grizzly and black bears and educate the public on how to co-exist Black bears and grizzlies are an important part of our state’s natural heritage. Today, Washington has one of the healthiest black bear populations in the U.S.  It is also one [...]

Yesterday a federal appeals court ruled that the Yellowstone grizzly bear will not be removed from the federal endangered species list due to the bears’ reliance on the whitebark pine, a tree that has been declining in numbers from to beetle infestations. Grizzly bears were given protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, at [...]

The Idaho Panhandle National Forest recently put into place a new Food Storage Order of the Priest Lake, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry Ranger Districts. This Forest Service Order will deal with human food and pet food, garbage and bird seed, deer carcasses, fish entrails and anything else that might lure wildlife into trouble especially bears. [...]

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved a DNA hair snare study within the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear ecosystem to be conducted over the next few years. This study will parallel a similar study that was conducted within the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem several years ago. This study will be conducted over the entire Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem, which [...]

For some, cooler weather means additional sweaters, increased heating bills and a great excuse to eat a lot of pie.  For others, autumn means big game hunting season.  We walk quietly through the woods, in camouflage sometimes sprayed with animal musk, and we bugle to attract animals.  While our technique may be good way to [...]

A fascinating article about a female bear in Montana estimated to have traveled over 1,200 miles on land and water June 2010 to September 2011. Why this bear is so unusual is that female grizzly bears are known to cover a 50 to 300 square miles of habitat, while males require 200 to 500 square [...]

Chris Morgan, Co-Director of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project, wrote a recent blog on PBS’ website about the bear attack in Yellowstone and what you can do to be safe. A must read for anyone who is working, recreating, or living in bear country. One of the key elements of staying safe in bear country [...]

Chris Laing was hiking in Teton Canyon, Wyoming when he encountered a grizzly bear sow with two cubs. The sow was chasing after Laing’s dog when suddenly she headed towards Laing. He used bear spray to deter the bear and managed to leave the trail uninjured. Wyoming Game and Fish Specialist Mike Boyce thinks Laing’s dog was a factor [...]

U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Press Release this week announced a verified grizzly bear sighting in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington – the first since 1996. The fact that my home state remains wild enough to accommodate a grizzly bear gives me a sense of  pride. Few ecosystems in the lower 48 states remain [...]

In a study titled Assisting the Public in Understanding the Relationships Between Food Resources and the Characteristics of Bear Populations, Washington State University’s Bear Center has shown why bears that have had access to high-quality foods can’t just switch to lower-quality foods when access is cut-off by human development. Studies like this challenge assumptions about how species will adapt [...]