Grizzly Bears and Cascades wilderness

[Jim]

Came across this opinion piece regarding the potential introduciton of the griz to the North Cascades. Has a link to an interesting report by the NW Ecosystem Alliance. Author says having griz in the Cascades would ease the recreation use pressure. Maybe. As always a big political issue.

 

http://www.tidepool.org/voices/ncgriz.cfm

[Dru]

bring a frying pan

[ken4ord]

bring a frying pan

 

Yeah a cast iron frying pan and some attitude.

[cj001f]

California needs Griz's back more than the Cascades.

[olyclimber]

" five to 20 grizzlies inhabit a 9,600-square-mile stretch of wilderness..."

 

How many people have seen a griz in the North Cascades?

[JoshK]

Not many, but it does happen every few years. I once found a list of sightings. Apparently they are very reclusive in addition to being rare.

[Jim]

After 5 years of remote camera work, hair snares, and interviews with folks that claimed to see the griz, WDFW concluded that there were a handful in the Cascades. Probably wander in and out of the US. A friend who just finished her Masters work in the North Cascades switched topics after two years of baited hair snare traps without any indication of griz.

[Skeezix]

I've never heard of a sighting or evidence since the last Griz shot in Fisher Basin in 1968.

[johndavidjr]

I seem to remember that black bears kill significantly more people in British Columbia that do grizzlies. This is entirely a function of their far greater numbers & the occassional, highly improbable circumstance. I'm not too keen on meeting a grizzly, but I suspect that like wolves, they'll eventually re-establish themselves in Cascades without any help, other than the lack of Fed-subsidized poisoning programs & bounty hunting, which I assume was responsible for their near-disappearance. My buddy from Poland claims wolves are found in a significant part of that country-- with far less wilderness than most of Western U.S. Poland is & was desperately poor & I assume never have systematic poisoning, & I understand guns weren't permitted &/or were unaffordable. Wolves also live in much of Italy's central mountain range, though I understand they have hybridized with dogs.

Edited June 8, 2004 by johndavidjr

[Billygoat]

We saw a very large Black Bear at the end of the Cascade River Road this past Saturday. How common are sightings of them?

[JoshK]

We saw a very large Black Bear at the end of the Cascade River Road this past Saturday. How common are sightings of them?

 

FAirly common. I've seen them on the side of the road before.

[Skeezix]

Fairly common. Good luck on your part to see one. I'd like to see a griz in NOCA. I've seen a cougar once. It was standing on the deck outside my cabin in Marblemount. I stepped out through the screen door and was then about eight feet from it. It looked at me, hopped down off the deck, and walked down through the brush along the river bank. What struck me was how small his head was in relation to his body, and how long his tail was (as long as his body). I think my best sighting, though, was a fisher in Bridge Creek. It was walking a log and was suddenly attacked by yellowjackets. Did a wild dance on that log before running off.

[Dan_Harris]

Never have seen a bear in WA. I've seen quite a few in the Oregon Cascades though. Did see a grizz once in Glacier Nat'l Park. That was one big animal.

[Dru]

some of the canadian, cascade grizzlies wander across the border once in a while. but they don't like to stay down there for some reason.

[Skeezix]

It's my breath.

[EWolfe]

some of the canadian, cascade grizzlies wander across the border once in a while. but they don't like to stay down there for some reason.

 

They crave peanut butter occasionally.

 

Same thing happened with cheese a few years back.

[Blake]

 

Nobody ever sees a small bear.

 

We saw a very large Black Bear at the end of the Cascade River Road this past Saturday. How common are sightings of them?

 

For the record, I don't beleive there are resident Grizzlies in WA. Very rarely one may cross the border for a few days or soemthing if it's lost.

[Dru]

i've seen a couple of small bears usually with a big bear mama in tow.

[Blake]

I think my best sighting, though, was a fisher in Bridge Creek.

 

I've seen pine martens myself, and I have talked to folks who've seen wolverines along Bridge Creek, but I was under the impression that the Fisher didn't live in that area. When did you see it?

[johndavidjr]

very cool & pleasant to read of seeing cougar at Marblemount & fisher at Bridge Creek. I've not seen much big wildlife in Wa. outside of a couple of blk bears & elk, & a BIG hole on slope 1/3 way up Whistler/Cutthroat-- probably result of large predator (bear or cat) digging out a marmot den.

 

In New Mexico once in the Mazanos se. of Alb. I descended a small canyon at dusk & scared a large animal that was sitting six feet up in some brushy trees. I suspect it was a cougar (or maybe bkbear) but never saw it, & half-way imagine it was wondering whether to get some dinner or flee. Earlier that day a patrolling ranger pointed out bear & cougar tracks & I was only able to figure they looked similar (except cougar puke a lot, maybe even more than crap, sorta like otters do & somewhat like owls.) In Vermont, some years later, I examined blk-bear tracks moments after they were made (according to a hunter) & figured they looked pretty much like a very big dog. Griz or larger bkbr, I reckon would be more obvious.

[JoshK]

Sorry to be dense, but what is "the fisher"??

[Blake]

it's like a weasel, but bigger and eats rodents and birds. imagine a dark brown badger.

[Fairweather]

[EWolfe]

I wish you would quit badgering this bear thread.

 

[Dan_Harris]

Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers!!