Real world observations of G-bear populations this Fall

[adk hunter]

I saw somewhere an article on the inner web stating huge mortality of bears from the severe winter last year. What I want to know is this another overstated occurrence or is there some truth to it.

Asking for guys in actual grizzly country with several years to compare. Guys that have bears on gut piles at the shot compared to this year and so forth...

Appreciate the information from actual real folks!!

 

[sp6x6]

I would think since they hibernate, the affect would be less.I spring bear hunt a bit.In a couple of the places I normally see sign, I did.Walk right in on fresh tracks one day, kinda wishing I had my 338,was also in wolf to almost everywhere I went. I do know in one region the elk got hammered as they where pushed down by snow . I counted 16 gut piles on way to camp off a county road

 

[coyote wacker]

I don't live in grizzly country but live in black bear country in the UP of Michigan only seen it happen 2 twice in over 50 years where we had a very-very bad winter and bears died in there dens....only reason I found them was the stink in the warm spring brake up never been in the wood and you smelled death....
Other than the smell you would have never known !

 

[wwbrown]

I don't live in grizzly country but live in black bear country in the UP of Michigan only seen it happen 2 twice in over 50 years where we had a very-very bad winter and bears died in there dens....only reason I found them was the stink in the warm spring brake up never been in the wood and you smelled death....
Other than the smell you would have never known !

After living in the UP for about 15 years, from Escanaba (the so called banana belt) to Houghton I would hazard a guess that the heavy snowfall due to lake effect in a few areas may make winter kill of bears worse. Houghton winters can exceed 300 inches of snow and that may keep the bears in hibernation longer given its insulating effect, the den would not see warmer temps or longer days underneath that much snow.

Just my thoughts with no data to support the idea.

wade

 

[Bud H]

I lived in the Alaskan interior, in and around North Pole from 90-96. We had 12 feet of snow and the bears did fine, both black and grizzly. I now live in NW Montana, I haven't seen or heard of a bear die off because of last year..in fact, the grizzlies are being seen further east then in a long long time. Elk and deer took a hard hit due to the weather, predation and vehicles though

 

[comfisherman]

Fn bears were everywhere this fall, we spent all of the last 3 weeks of Sept and first week of October all over the road system of alaksa. We spent a couple days just about everywhere and floated a lot of drainage by packraft. I've no idea the actual numbers but we never went a day without bears.

Didn't see much of any game animals, Moose or two. But man there were bears everywhere. Lots of mild winters stacked up, eventually we get to many and a bunch starve and it resets.

 

[Bud H]

Fn bears were everywhere this fall, we spent all of the last 3 weeks of Sept and first week of October all over the road system of alaksa. We spent a couple days just about everywhere and floated a lot of drainage by packraft. I've no idea the actual numbers but we never went a day without bears.

Didn't see much of any game animals, Moose or two. But man there were bears everywhere. Lots of mild winters stacked up, eventually we get to many and a bunch starve and it resets.

As.long as the berry crop holds, you have bears. A early fall and late.spring bring them into town and they start breaking into cabins, I haven't seen a big die off before. Interesting.

 

[comfisherman]

Fish is the bigger controller for a lot up here. We've had a pretty good run since 16, be interesting to see how this winter goes. Heard of a lot of bears not asleep yet, usually a harbinger of things to come.

 

[Bud H]

You must be by the coast then.

 

[Bob Milek]

Have heard of no such reports here in N Central Wyo- 90 miles from the Yellowstone Park boundary. Hunting this fall saw just as much grizzly bear sign as usual- and a couple bears, which is typical. If anything, the winter loss on big game gave the bears plenty to eat when they came out of hibernation.

 

[Bob Milek]

Would be more likely to be misinformation from a source attempting to keep them on the endangered species list, even though their numbers have greatly exceeded what was established as necessary for a viable population and delisting.

 

[gunner1stclass]

I dont believe we lost many bears here in western WY i saw a lot of sign this fall and a few boys out and about

 

[adk hunter]

Thanks everyone!
Really appreciate the guys who have first hand knowledge chiming in.

 

[Sleds]

Report from Northern BC from some friends up the rivers on a jetboat, first day hiking in the middle of nowhere. Never saw a moose, elk or deer but saw 7 grizzly. Came home with only one animal.