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Sad day for those involved, hopefully something changes sooner rather than later.

I feel for the two that were attacked. Hunting in grizz country definetly changes how I thought of things while there.

Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity.

Hope for a full recovery, and a bear season for several reasons.... these events being just one....

So that's how it's spelled.......always thought it was doofus. Guess you learn something new ever day !

The irony is that the people who don’t think that these bears are being conditioned to respond to humans as a food source are selling these Majestic, Noble creatures short in the intelligence department. Hell, even ducks and geese Learn very quickly that we are zero threat to them when all we do is give them food. Compare and contrast with those mallards that will flare at 150 yards if you happen to glance up too early.

Funny thing about predators… The distinction between Food Source and Food Item and is just a little bit too subtle for them…

They are, however, pretty good at keeping track of who can kick their ass and who cannot…

Now, apparently… There’s a bear out there that knows that gunshots lead to Elk carcasses that are only lightly defended.

Sincere thanks for joining the Bowsite and please don't post anything to get kicked-off. You Bowsite worth the monthly subscription price!

Damn near fell out of my tree stand

Or if not that, having a hot flash.

Priceless!

The Anti's and many of today's very liberal game managers have a well thought out and long term plan.

I’m not that worried about apex predators. They move into settled areas and the novelty wears off as soon as a pet goes missing or they read a news article about a kid that got bitten.

If you REALLY want to protect the future of hunting, it’s going to cost you, because what is needed is to buy up the private land that needs to be crossed to gain access to the public land behind it. Else, it will continue to be sold to people who will be all too happy to close down those gateways so that they can protect that public land for their own benefit (whether hunting it themselves or charging access fees) or because they don’t hunt and don’t think anyone else should, either.

And the only way to buy up all of that land is through groups like FNAWS and RMEF and Backcountry, or find one that doesn’t make you more nervous than a Russian robber-baron or a Hollywood type or Ted Turner, or whatever. Nobody's perfect maybe, but if you take the time to get past the bullschitt conspiracy theories - all of which directly benefit the Antis by persuading hunters, fishermen and other public land users to withhold $$$$ from groups whose actions directly benefit hunters, fishermen and other public land users...

A True Friend may be hard to come by, but Significant Adversaries abound.

BINGO Missouri! I've said the same for years. There is a reason it is ONLY predators being pushed for reintroduction/introduction. For example bison used to roam everywhere and they are every bit as majestic and iconic as a griz, but groups aren't pushing to get them reintroduced...

You have a point.... to a degree. But...

Whitetails were nearly wiped out. Deer hunters brought them back.

Elk were nearly wiped out. Elk hunters are bringing them back.

Turkeys.

Geese.

Waterfowl of all kinds.

Hunters are one of the first and most successful kinds of Special Interest Groups, EVER.

Black bears and coyotes are doing just fine on their own. Lions, too.

Now, as I said... you have a point, but only up to a point. Where the wolves and Griz have come back, the Hunting has become more difficult than it used to be (though to what extent depends on who you talk to). But I’m not aware of any areas where tags have become less available because the deer & Elk herds are below target levels (I trust I will be corrected on that, which is fine).

But give a little credit; wolves and Griz have always lived in the mountainous wilderness areas where they are found now - on millions of acres of public land. Not all Hunters & ranchers & outfitters WANT them, but there IS a place for them, both ecologically and geographically.

Bison are a Plains species, and almost all of their native range is now privately owned.

So where do you propose to put them?

And how are you going to address the Brucellosis issue?

I’ve often daydreamed about if I were to win the big lottery, and have thought how cool it would be to help move millions of acres into the National Grasslands program and re-stock the bison throughout the NE panhandle and eastern WY/MT and the western Dakotas.... Not sure how many of the local ranchers would be happy to talk to me about that, though I’m sure there are enough of them who’d like to give me a piece of their mind on the issue.... and I'd likely agree with their POV on a lot of it.

So believe it or not, I think you’re wrong that there aren’t any groups that are INTERESTED in bringing back the bison; I think they’re just allocating their resources to battles that they can hope to win, given the resources available to them.

correction #1. Idaho has dropped off available tags in numerous areas. F&G biologists identify areas that the predator base (wolves mainly) is too high and hurting calf recruitment in a bad way.

Next.........

Hunter/sportstman groups are the original and only true conservationists. Proven wildly successful with a myriad of species, which trickle down to other species too. But wolves and griz are intended to compete with us hunters pure and simple.

It’s probably actually good news and away, because reducing tags is going to cut into state revenue, and that always seems to get the lawmakers’ attention. Add in the guide/outfitter lobby, and you should be on your way to getting some meaningful regulation put in place on those bigger predators. Which is exactly what’s needed, IMO; Once the population his sustainable, they can and should and need to be managed just like everything else.

But Smarba - Dude, seriously? There’s not one state in the country that would accept a whitetail if you shipped it FedEx. Turkeys have come back gangbusters. Elk may be taking a bit longer, but they require more land than is available in most states.

Hunters have acted in their own interests for so long that there is no need to reintroduce ANYTHING, except a few completely impractical species.

Predators DO belong out there; THAT is not a problem. But like children, if you’re overprotective of them, they tend to run amok and bad behavior ensues.

I guess that’s one more plus for Bowhunting; at least we’re not ringing a 150 dB dinnerbell!

But FWIW - anybody who drops an Elk (or anything else) while in Griz country and does NOT keep a suitable bear deterrent RIGHT CLOSE AT HAND is asking for an insane amount of trouble. If you can’t post a sentry, you ought to consider working so that you can keep checking down-wind. I’d rather be a live paranoiac than a dead Tough Guy, any day!

How would those programs have worked with a strong wolf population? Just look to how those populations are recovering right now with a strong wolf presence. People worked hard to reduce them to a negligible population. They haven't been necessary to good wildlife management in a 100 years. But NOW we have them. A pretty uncontrollable x factor WRT management. And completely unnecessary.

They were introduced for a reason, a very political one IMO and many pushing for it were hard core anti's. Then population goals were met and the fight to not allow management was from hard core anti hunters. And they plainly stated the goal of non-human wildlife management. Man being some interloper.... outsider and HE is no longer a welcome part of the world.

To ignore that very strong element with clearly stated goals is to purposely ignore it.

This is happening in north central Montana. Many people have a deep suspicion of their ultimate goals, myself included. I believe the Missouri Breaks will be off limits to hunting in my lifetime. They’re picking off ranches at a steady pace.

I have no problems with predators. I was born & raised in Alaska where there are plenty of wolves, griz, black bear. But there for the most part those species are managed just like other game species.

The hugger groups almost universally ONLY push for predators (wolf & griz). They aren't interested in any other animals. Why? I submit that it's because they want us hunters out of the picture and want "nature" to balance itself.

As TD points out, it's the antis/huggers that continually fight against management of these predator species. They don't want them managed. They want as many predators as possible so that there is no role for hunters.

wow .... just ... wow ....

I'd really like to read the local newspaper perspectives on them.

Now, as you point out, that depopulation is happening all over the Midwest and rural west by attrition. Estate taxes, uncertainty of ranching, the hard work, and the lure of the cities for young people all play a part.

That, combined with the projected massive decrease in hunters over the next 20 years will result in a rural landscape that is very different from what it is today.

Still, I'd rather see these big ranches wholly preserved in some way vs. chopping them into ranchettes.

Yes rich people buying the land to manage it for themselves helps none, especially the wildlife.

Yep hunting has changed so much in my 61 yrs. and I don’t see that changing in the future.

To make this a little more relevant to the original topic, I believe Lewis and Clark encountered grizzly bears in much of the plains and those that want the American West restored will push for their restoration in those places.