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Grizzly Bears In North Washington State

Interesting article in the June 2024 edition of Scientific American on the possible introduction of Grizzly bears to northern Washington state. Discussion of several aspects of such a move but no mention of recreational hunting.

See thread:

https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=502227&messages=31&forum=6

“but no mention of recreational hunting.”

I'm just trying to imagine how that could possibly be a surprise or disappointment??

I know I’m in the minority here because I don’t have a problem with restoring populations of extirpated predators where the landscape is appropriate, and I appear to be in the minority among those who favor predator reintroductions because I think their numbers should be managed like every other species and that those plans need to be in place prior to Day One….

But it sounds as though grizzly numbers in the GYE are starting to become problematic (same as black bear numbers in a lot of places) and it’s starting to look like they need to be thinned out, whether through Hunting or relocation. Here’s hoping the relocation process is unpleasant enough for the bears that they’ll avoid contact with humans in the future….

The irony of it is that the bears that most need to be relocated are the ones already most likely to misbehave, which sorta makes them ineligible for a re-lo…. because how’d you like to be That Guy who approved transplanting the bear that was later involved in a mauling or fatality?

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