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Grizzlies to benefit from bumper crop
Bear experts warn forest users to be on the lookout, careful near whitebark pine stands.

By Rebecca Huntington

With a bumper crop of whitebark pine nuts ­ a favorite high-fat, fall food for grizzly bears ­ bear experts are warning hunters and other forest visitors to to take care when traveling in whitebark pine zones.

"Whitebark pine cone production was very good this fall," said Mark Haroldson, wildlife biologist for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Surveys of 19 study plots across the greater Yellowstone area revealed an average of 28 cones per tree, he said. Cone production was similar in 2001, but lower last year.

"Bears make nearly exclusive fall use of whitebark pine seed as food during years in which mean cone production exceeds 20 cones per tree," Haroldson said.

Bears obtain cones by raiding caches called "middens," made by red squirrels.

High cone production this year means hunters and other outdoor recreationists might bump into bears searching for middens in mid- to high-elevation conifer stands that contain Whitebark pine.

"We do want to advise hunters that those bears are at those mid- to high-elevation conifer stands and to be prepared," said Mark Bruscino, bear management officer for Wyoming Game and Fish.

Bruscino added: "If they're seeing lots of bear sign, they probably ought to vacate the area."

Overall, a bumper pine-nut crop could be good news for reducing conflicts with grizzlies. Bruscino, who responds to grizzly conflicts, typically sees a drop in incidents when pine nut crops are good. Pine nuts draw bears away from cattle and lower elevations, which are more populated with people.

So far this summer, grizzly-livestock conflicts have not been exceptional except for the Upper Green River Cattlemen's Association allotment, which has been a hot spot. Ranchers are permitted to run more than 7,000 cattle on the national forest allotment in the Upper Green River drainage. Though drought has kept those numbers down.

Game and Fish has trapped and relocated four adult male grizzlies for attacking cattle on the allotment. A female with two cubs also was trapped but then released because her track size did not match that of the depredating bear.

Bruscino said 24 cattle losses, which were mostly calves, have been recorded. Under a new compensation formula approved this summer by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, the state pays ranchers for 3.5 calves for every one confirmed kill. The formula is designed to make up for losses that aren't found.

The Upper Green allotment "has been our only real chronic problem all summer," Bruscino said.

Overall, Game and Fish has captured nine grizzlies for management purposes. Two grizzlies, who were habituated to human food and garbage near Cody, were killed. The rest were relocated.

In addition to the two bears removed near Cody, six grizzlies have been killed by humans this year in the greater Yellowstone area. Two were poached, one was hit by a vehicle, one was killed by a hunter that mistook it for a black bear, one suffocated in a trap set for wolves and one was killed in self defense.

Half of the dead bears were females. Protecting breeding females is key to ensuring the species survival ­ a prerequisite for removing grizzlies from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Haroldson said the number of females with cubs counted this year in the greater Yellowstone area is down. Researchers counted 32 compared to a record high of 52 in 2002.

Several factors likely contributed to the lower count. A lot of females in the population had cubs or yearlings at their sides last year and were unavailable for breeding, he said.

Also, restrictions on aircraft operations due to fires contributed to the low number of sightings by limiting searches in some areas of the ecosystem, he said.

Haroldson is urging hunters and other forest visitors to keep a clean camp and properly store carcasses to protect both bears and humans. Leaving unburned garbage in a fire ring or extra horse feed on the ground can create problems for future visitors to a campsite. Bears find those leavings and become habituated to the campsite.

In addition, hunters should pack out carcasses as soon as possible.

Grizzly 2003 overview

· The Upper Green River basin has been a hot spot for bear/livestock conflicts, where four male bears were trapped and moved.

· 24 head of cattle, mostly calves, were confirmed lost to grizzlies; the state will pay ranchers 3.5 times the value of each calf, according to its formula.

· Eight grizzlies were killed by humans in the ecosystem, four of them females.

· 32 mothers with cubs of the year were counted this year, down from a high of 52 in 2002.

· Last year's high reproductive rate, plus fires that curtailed surveys, may have contributed to the low count.

· The whitebark pine cone crop is at 28 cones per tree, above the 20 required for grizzlies to use the nuts as a major food source.

· Travelers should be on the lookout for bears on ridges with the ubiquitous tree.

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