JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Grizzly bear trapping is again underway for the spring season. Backcountry users should take special notice of signage indicating trapping activities are being conducted in the area.
The trapping and studying efforts are required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will conduct pre-baiting and trapping operations within Grand Teton National Park from May 1 to July 15.
Research trappings are conducted annually. When bear trapping activities are being conducted, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. For bear and human safety, the public must respect these closures and stay out of the posted areas.
Trained professionals with the interagency team will bait and trap grizzly bears in accordance with strict protocols. Once trapped, the bears are sedated to allow wildlife biologists to collar the bears and collect samples and data for scientific study. The bears are then released on site, often with a collar that transmits their location to study how bears use the landscape.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team was established in 1973 to collaboratively monitor and research grizzly bears in the ecosystem on an interagency basis. The gathering of critical data on the bears is part of a long-term research effort to help wildlife managers devise and implement programs to support the ongoing recovery of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s grizzly bear population.
The team includes representatives from the National Park Service, U. S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
