Game & Fish releases 2021 grizzly bear report

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department released its annual grizzly bear report for 2021—detailing all captures, relocations, and removals in northwest Wyoming.

During 2021, the department captured 45 individual grizzly bears in 49 capture events in an attempt to prevent or resolve conflicts. Four bears (1022, 1041, 1043, and 1048) were each captured twice. Of the 45 individual captures, 17 were female and 32 were male grizzly bears.

Of the 49 capture events, 23 captures were a result of grizzly bears killing livestock (primarily cattle), 17 were captures involving bears that obtained food rewards (pet, livestock food, garbage, fruit trees), or were frequenting developed sites or human populated areas unsuitable for grizzly bear occupancy. Two grizzly bears were captured for damaging corn fields, one bear was captured because it was extremely sick/emaciated, and was humanely euthanized. Six grizzly bears were captured that were not implicated in the specific conflict (labeled “non-target” captures).

Some non-target grizzly bears are relocated in order to focus trapping efforts toward the “target” individual or for human safety, and some are released on site.

“In comparison to last year, conflicts—especially with livestock—increased. This is due to the growing number of bears on the landscape expanding beyond their suitable range and spilling into areas they haven’t been in recent history,” said Brian DeBolt, Game and Fish large carnivore conflict coordinator. “Game and Fish tries to mitigate conflicts with proactive strategies and a great deal of educational efforts for people living, working and recreating in these areas. However, sometimes a direct management action—like a relocation—is necessary to minimize human-bear conflicts.”

Of the 49 capture events, 21 (43%) were in Park County, 10 (21%) were in Sublette County, 6 (12%) were in Fremont County, 7 (14%) were in Teton County, and 5 (10%) were in Hot Springs County.

Game and Fish relocated 19 of the 45 bears it captured last year. Of the 19 relocation events, 11 were conducted in Park County (58%), 6 (32%) in Teton County, 1 (5%) in Sublette County, and 1 (5%) in Fremont County.

According to the department, grizzly bears are removed from the population due to a history of previous conflicts, a known history of close association with humans, or if they are deemed unsuitable for release into the wild (e.g. orphaned cubs, poor physical condition, or human safety concern). Of the 45 grizzly bears captured, 30 bears were removed from the population. Of these 30, 17 (57%) were outside of the Demographic Monitoring Area, which is the area considered suitable for the long-term viability of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Relocations are becoming increasingly difficult, noted DeBolt. Nineteen grizzly bears were relocated to U.S. Forest Service land in or adjacent to the core grizzly bear habitat referred to as the “recovery zone.” Nearly twice as many grizzly bears were relocated in 2021 compared to 2020.

“It’s becoming more challenging to find a suitable relocation option for conflict bears. A successful relocation site needs to be somewhere the bear won’t immediately find itself back into conflicts with people or livestock, has suitable range as well as some biological factors. Sites are limited right now due to high grizzly bear population densities,” DeBolt said.

Proactive efforts to prevent grizzly bear conflicts remain a cornerstone to the department’s work with livestock producers and recreationalists.

“Our primary goal is to work with producers and land management agencies in any way we can to reduce livestock depredation risk. Game and Fish does all it can to prevent conflicts from occurring,” DeBolt added. “Further, the department continues to prioritize efforts like Bear Wise Wyoming, a program that teaches people how to live with bears and minizine conflict potential while recreating outdoors.”

More insight

In Wyoming, ‘grizzly bear conflicts’ are defined as “interactions between grizzly bears, people and their property, resulting in damage to pets, livestock or bees, non-natural food rewards, animal caused human injury or death, and human caused injury or death to an animal other than legal hunting or a management action.”

Human-grizzly bear interactions and conflicts in Wyoming are a result of an abundance of bears seeking unnatural foods in association with people and property, close encounters with humans, or when bears kill livestock.

In addition to capture and relocation, the Department also removes grizzly bears (lethally or by live placement in a zoo or other facility) in response to human-grizzly bear conflicts, when necessary, as part of routine management operations. All grizzly bear management actions are conducted in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The decision to relocate or remove a grizzly bear is made after considering a number of factors including the age and sex of the animal, behavioral traits, health status, physical injuries or abnormalities, type of conflict, severity of conflict, known history of the animal, human safety concerns, availability of suitable relocation sites, and population management objectives.