Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Erin Edge, Rockies and Plains Associate

In the spring of 2009, two grizzly bears named Rainy and Scarhip were seen frolicking through fields and across highways. Soon thereafter, both bears were captured near Seeley Lake, Montana and fitted with tracking collars. To have any chance of survival, Rainy and Scarhip would have to avoid a variety of temptations, including garbage cans, birdfeeders, and chicken coops – all containing delicious snacks for a hungry bear.

A grizzly bear roams into an apple orchard.

Needless to say, the outlook was not good, and Scarhip was getting into people’s yards almost immediately. But food attractants aren’t the only threat to grizzly bears, and in October of 2009, Scarhip was mistakenly shot and killed by a black hear hunter. Meanwhile, Rainy stayed out of trouble all summer long before heading to her den north of Lake Alva. The following spring she emerged with two cubs and spent the next few months in the Placid Lake area. Then, suddenly, on July 14th, she was documented near Seeley Lake again, feeding on garbage, grain, bird seed and dog food. Females with cubs need as many calories as they can find, and Rainy had hit the jackpot.

That was the beginning of the end for Rainy. Before long, she and her cubs were climbing onto porches, damaging buildings and approaching people. Due to escalating concerns for human safety, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks decided to trap all three bears. But it was too late — one of Rainy’s cubs was hit by a car crossing Highway 83. A month later, FWP trapped Rainy and her remaining cub and sent them to a zoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sadly, the cub died a year later from a rare fungal infection, while Rainy still remains at the zoo.

The saddest part of the story, however, is that the loss of these bears was almost entirely avoidable. Simple solutions like electric fencing are highly effective at securing attractants like bee yards, apple orchards, lambing pastures, chicken coops and compost piles. Other successful deterrents include bear-resistant garbage enclosures and using livestock guard dogs, range riders and alternative grazing methods.

Some of these tools can be expensive, but there are resources available to help residents protect their property and prevent conflict. For example, Defenders of Wildlife started a program in 2010 to help pay for smaller fencing projects. So far the program has secured 58 sites in Montana and helped save grizzly bears.

Electric fencing around bear attractants like chicken coops can make a big difference.

Take the Morris family, for instance. They’re a 4-H family from northwest Montana with pigs, goats, sheep and chickens. Last year, the Morrises routinely had grizzly bears on their property and had Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks on “speed dial.” They wanted to install a sturdy electric fence but didn’t think they could afford one. FWP directed the Morrises to our incentive program, which helped pay for installing the fence they wanted — a win-win solution for both bears and people. The Morrises finished their electric fence last October and are expecting local wildlife residents to be quite “shocked” when they come around this spring.

Since 1997, Defenders of Wildlife has also been compensating ranchers for livestock losses to grizzly bears. This year, Montana will take this program over through the state’s Livestock Loss Board. Though not a perfect solution, compensation programs help mitigate the financial impact on ranchers and their families. But compensation only addresses conflicts after the damage has already been done. It’s far better to find ways to prevent conflicts from occurring in the first place. And on the rare occasions when these tools aren’t enough, wildlife managers need the flexibility to relocate or remove grizzly bears that are deemed a serious threat to humans.

Aldo Leopold, the grandfather of wildlife conservation, once wrote, “Relegating grizzlies to Alaska is about like relegating happiness to heaven; one may never get there.”

By the late 1800s, this became a real fear. An estimated population of 50,000 grizzly bears plummeted to just a few hundred in less than one percent of their historic range. Fortunately, grizzly bears were protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1975 and have been making a strong comeback ever since. Today, there are approximately 1,700 grizzly bears in the lower 48. Most of us have welcomed these magnificent creatures back to our landscape. But it will take concerted efforts by all of us living in grizzly country to ensure continued recovery of the species. Ultimately, the fate of grizzly bears in Montana and across the West still rests in our hands.

I hope grizzlies are never relegated to Alaska nor happiness to heaven. And hopefully, by working together, we can ensure that our children and grandchildren can continue to find both right here in Montana.

To learn more about what you can do to coexist with grizzly bears, visit defenders.org/GotGrizzlies.

Originally published by Montana Public Radio

Happy Bear Awareness Week, everyone! To kick things off this year, I thought I’d share a story about what inspired me to get involved with fighting to protect grizzly bears in Montana.

My first bear encounter

In the late ‘90s, I was working in Yellowstone National Park as a waitress, a city girl inexperienced about wilderness. Wildlife, in my mind, consisted only of the opossums, deer, raccoons and squirrels that had frequented my neighborhood in Missouri. Little did I know, my summer job would forever change my conception of wildlife – and my entire life.

A family moment. (Photo Credit: Stephen Oachs)

One sunny day I set out on a hike with friends into Hayden Valley. The grass was as tall as me, gold and thick, and bison grazed in every direction. Suddenly, we noticed a grizzly bear off in the distance. My instinct was to run in the opposite direction, and I actually did briefly until a friend asked where I was going. Sheepishly, I stopped. We took out our binoculars and the grizzly stood up, her coat gleaming in the afternoon sun. Then, the small brown head of bear cub popped out of the grass. Finally, a third grizzly bear emerged, slightly larger than the little cub. Three grizzlies! At once, all three bears dropped into the tall grass and disappeared.

Media headlines were racing though my head: “Female grizzly attacks hikers to defend her cubs!” I was horrified and certain that she was going to pop up right in front of us—a mad, mama bear—but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Soon, she reappeared farther off, near a wet, muddy hole. She lay down on her back watching the other two roll in the mud.

In that exact moment I was forever changed. All the information I had received about bears through movies, TV and news articles was inaccurate and sensational. This was beyond a doubt, what we humans like to call a “family moment.” The cubs were playing while mom soaked up some sunshine. I knew I had to better educate myself about bears and that I needed to share what I learned.

Helping people and grizzlies coexist

This moment comes to mind every spring when bears emerge from hibernation and we start gearing up for our summer field season. For the past 10 years, I’ve been working to promote tolerance and find ways for humans and grizzlies to coexist. My job is to make sure that people are doing their part to secure attractants so that bears can keep themselves out of trouble and continue to thrive on the landscape.

Me and Russ doing grizzly bear outreach in Missoula, Mont.

My colleague Russ Talmo and I got started early this year by participating in several workshops and outreach events. This included talking about raising chickens in bear country at two Montana Pastured Poultry Workshops hosted by the National Center for Appropriate Technology in cooperation with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. We also set up remote cameras at a lambing pasture on the Rocky Mountain Front and, while we didn’t catch any bears, we do have footage of a coyote, a skunk, raccoons and lots of sheep.

Right now grizzlies are out of their dens looking for food such as glacier lilies, spring grasses  and deer and elk that have died over the winter. But anthropogenic attractants like garbage, birdfeeders, livestock, bees and chickens can quickly lure a winter-starved grizzly. To help keep bears away from these potential food sources, Defenders started an Electric Fencing Incentive program three years ago that reimburses residents 50% of the cost of an electric fence around a bear attractant. Between 2010 and 2012 we completed 58 fences. This year our goal is to complete another 50 fencing projects, and we are well on our way with over 25 people signed up already to participate.  Additionally, we are working with livestock producers on larger electric fence projects, range rider programs and helping to purchase livestock guard dogs.

I’ll keep you posted as our field season gets under way. We have lots of coexistence projects to complete and lots of great stories to share from our partners, so stay tuned!

Erin Edge, Rockies and Plains Associate

Grizzly family (Credit: Stephen Oachs)

Working on grizzly bear conflict issues for over 10 years has shown me a few things: First, grizzly bears are smart, and their sense of smell is phenomenal. If there is an available food resource around, they will find it.  Second, grizzly bears evoke emotion in humans. Almost everyone I talk to has some connection to just the idea of grizzly bears, and respecting all perspectives is part of finding real solutions to conflict. And finally, grizzly bears can recover, but only if we give them tolerance and safe access to wild, protected spaces. We must become responsible stewards of the lands we share. As Defenders’ Rockies and Plains Associate and point person on grizzly bear conservation, I draw on these three very simple ideas as I approach each day on the job, on the ground, working to keep the peace between humans and grizzlies.  One of the reasons I love my job is that I get to see real-world solutions stop grizzly bear mortalities from occurring.  This year was challenging, but rewarding.

An electric fence around a beehive can prevent a lot of trouble for grizzlies and humans alike.

The Northern Continental Divide grizzly bear population in Northwest Montana is on the road to recovery, and as the range expands, we face a rise in conflicts between people and grizzlies.  This is particularly true in areas where former bear habitat is now occupied by people and livestock. Chicken coops, fruit trees and garbage are powerful attractants for bears.  If a bear finds goodies at one location too often, they learn to expect food near human homes and property, often getting into trouble in the process, and potentially leading to the death of that bear.  The bear may also teach its young to access things like birdfeeders, garbage and chickens. Consequently, generations of bears could be at risk if attractants are left available.

Securing even one location can stop a grizzly bear from learning those behaviors and teaching other bears. To address this problem, we started an electric fence incentive program in 2010. Electric fencing is a highly effective tool for keeping bears out of trouble.  Our program reimburses people half of the cost (up to $500) of an electric fence installed around the trees, chicken coops, or other features on their property that might attract grizzly bears.  It’s been great to see the interest in this solution grow each year. In 2010 we completed six fences, then 12 fences in 2011, and then we completed a whopping 40 fences in 2012!  The people who participate in the program are also happy – they find a way to protect their homes, livestock or other property without threatening the bears:

Now I rest easy knowing that my trees and bears are safe. Thank you for your help. – Matt Dipaulo, 2012

We are a 4H family with pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and horses, and young children. We had spoken often about an electric fence, however, couldn’t afford putting in a good solid one. I know Defenders of Wildlife sure helped us! – The Morris Family, 2012

Defenders also spearheads a variety of other coexistence projects to prevent conflicts between livestock and grizzlies. We assist ranchers with the costs of range riders, cost-share for livestock protection dogs and provide incentives to ranchers who voluntarily retire sheep grazing allotments that have a history of chronic livestock loss to grizzly bears. In fact, since we started this effort in 1997, Defenders has invested over $500,000 in more than 250 grizzly bear coexistence projects.

Additionally, Defenders’ Grizzly Bear Compensation Trust reimburses ranchers for the marketable cost of verified livestock losses to grizzly bears. In 2012 alone, Defenders of Wildlife paid over $89,000 to livestock producers through this program. Since 1997, Defenders has reimbursed ranchers over $370,000 for lost livestock. Working closely with ranchers minimizes grizzly bear deaths related to livestock depredations and improves tolerance. In a human dominated landscape, tolerance for grizzlies is critical to give them room to move, raise their cubs and reoccupy historic ranges. Grizzlies once roamed the Great Plains to the California coast, from Canada to Mexico. Today, populations still occupy less than 2% of their historic range.  The road to recovery is long and bumpy, but we are dedicated to working on the ground in order to ensure this iconic symbol of the American wilderness is recovered.

Erin Edge, Rockies and Plains Associate

The Flathead Reservation, composed of 1.3 million acres in northwest Montana, is situated at the base of the Mission Mountains and is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), which includes the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai Tribes. On the eastern side of the Flathead, the majestic Mission mountain range rises up with its tall, snow-capped peaks, lush avalanche chutes, wetlands and mountain lakes. Amidst such varied habitats, the Flathead Reservation is home to grizzly bears, wolves, peregrine falcons, elk, bighorn sheep, fisher, lynx, wolverine and myriad other wildlife species.

“Although each of the Tribes on the Reservation possess distinctive beliefs and practices, the people share one important similarity: Tribal people value the Earth — its air, water, and land — as the foundation of Indian culture…The Tribes believe everything in nature is embodied with a spirit. The spirits are woven tightly together to form a sacred whole (the Earth). Changes, even subtle changes that affect one part of this web affect other parts.”
- Excerpt from the Flathead Reservation’s Comprehensive Resources Plan

These Confederated Tribes have a long history of working in support of their deep respect for this connection with nature. In 1982, when the Tribal Council defined the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness Management Plan, it was the first time in the United States that a Tribal government had decided to protect lands as wilderness. Along with this significant achievement, the Tribal Council established a special Grizzly Bear Management Zone. This area, which covers approximately 10,000 acres, is critical to grizzlies while they feed on insects — a rich and vital source of protein — from mid-July to early October, and is completely closed to human activity during these months.

The grizzly’s hump distinguishes it from black bears

Grizzly bears are a keystone predator, meaning they have a top-down effect on entire ecosystems. Through their scat, bears help disperse seeds throughout a region, which helps the ecosystem’s vegetation spread. Bears can also help limit the population density of certain animals like deer, elk and other ungulates by preying on them. This keeps populations in balance with other species and prevents these types of animals, which feed on foliage and other vegetation, from overgrazing the area. Just as grizzly bears need intact ecosystems to survive, these ecosystems need grizzly bears to help keep them healthy. In 1975, grizzlies were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Due to protections under the ESA and efforts of agencies like the CSKT, grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 are now estimated at 1,400-1,600 bears and are expanding into historic ranges. Things can get a little tricky, however, when balancing a recovering grizzly population with rapid human development.

Land ownership in the Flathead valley bottom is complex, full of residential areas, towns, agricultural lands and an extremely busy highway, creating a daily challenge to tribal biologists who routinely answer human-grizzly conflict calls. The largest threat to grizzly bear recovery is human-related mortalities. For example, chickens are an increasingly popular backyard sustainable food item. In grizzly country, chickens are an enticing treat that can lure the bears into an area they may have otherwise avoided. Grizzlies that receive a “food reward” like this often return to the same location, or may even search out similar food at other locations, leading to a bear that is food-conditioned and comfortable around human activity. These bears may do things that lead management agencies to believe they are a human safety concern, like paying frequent visits to people’s homes. Sadly, these bears are often either relocated or euthanized if a zoo cannot be found to take them. Sometimes they can be killed by homeowners who perceive them as a threat. More often than not, something as simple as an electric fence can prevent these conflicts from occurring.

An electric fence around a chicken coop can prevent a lot of trouble for grizzlies and humans alike.

In an effort to combat the escalating conflicts between grizzlies and people, tribal biologists work tirelessly to address these threats by encouraging people to use nonlethal tools like electric fences and bear-resistant garbage containers. Recently, the CSKT has offered these bear-resistant containers free of charge to residents on the Mission front. They also actively purchase and protect lands to try to secure the remaining suitable habitat for grizzly bears in the valley bottom.

We are happy to be working with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to assist with these efforts to provide electric fencing incentives and outreach and education to residents. This region provides a connective corridor to other grizzly bear recovery areas such as the southern Bitterroot ecosystem, and the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem to the west, so it is vital to the long-term recovery of grizzlies.

In the coming year, we will continue to work with our partners to promote the use of electric fencing through workshops, one-on-one assistance with setup and design, and an incentive program. We will also be working closely with biologists to identify new approaches to reduce conflicts between wildlife and humans or livestock. While there is much yet to be done, it is heartening to work in an area where wildlife and wild places are honored and appreciated, and where the road to coexistence seems a little bit brighter.

A grizzly bear heading for an apple tree. Photo courtesy of Bob Muth.

Imagine a giant plate of warm, cheesy pasta. Now imagine that you haven’t eaten in three days, and in order to get to the pasta you have to cross a busy highway, sneak past barking dogs and climb over a barbed wire fence.  Would you go for it? Maybe not. But if you were a 500-lb. grizzly bear getting ready to hibernate for five months, you wouldn’t think twice.

Backyard chickens and smelly garbage are a bear’s cheesy pasta. While grizzly bears that feed on tempting attractants like these may not be starving, their drive to gain weight is intense and frequently gets them into trouble. Should we blame the hungry bears for eating food that’s left out in the open? No, but the grizzly bear often pays with its life nonetheless.

Three grizzlies have died in less than two weeks in northwest Montana. Two were in the process of killing or attempting to kill chickens. Both were shot and killed by the homeowners.  The remains of a third grizzly were found and the cause of death is still under investigation.  Additionally, during the same time period, two male grizzly bears were captured and relocated.  The younger one had killed chickens and the other had killed turkeys. None of the homeowners had electric fencing installed to protect their poultry.

Electrified chicken coop.

Raising chickens and small livestock might be a good way to local, affordable, and sustainable food.  However, when living in bear country it is critical that chicken owners secure their chickens with electric fence. Electric fencing is relatively inexpensive, easy to use and the design can be flexible, depending on the situation.  A jolt from an electric fence is usually enough to teach a bear to keep their distance and deter it from returning.

For long-term grizzly bear recovery to be successful, we will have to find ways to coexist. That’s why Defenders continues working hard to increase tolerance on the lands where this great bear resides.  This year we implemented an electric fencing incentive program that has proven to be very effective at reducing conflicts between people and bears.

One of our project partners Bob Muth decided to install an electric fence recently after a grizzly bear paid his apple orchard a visit. Muth had this to say:

“There are things that cannot be put into words. And the aura surrounding a wild grizzly bear is at the top of the list. Grizzlies are mythical, mystical, and magnificent creatures. We are blessed to live in a place large enough and wise enough to be part of this breathtaking animal’s recovery from the road to extermination…thanks to farsighted conservationists and the Endangered Species Act. On a personal note, Laurie and I feel that a few destroyed fruit trees are a small price to pay to be able to witness the great bear’s return. However, with the help of Tim Manley (FWP) and Defenders of Wildlife, we have installed electric fencing around our farmstead and barnyard hoping to discourage the bears from becoming dependent of a food source that can only end badly for the bears.”

These incidents are a good reminder that a little fencing can go a long way. To make sure more grizzly bears aren’t killed unnecessarily, we must all do our part to secure food attractants, starting with what’s in our
own backyard.

The Rocky Mountain Front is a truly magnificent place where more than a million acres of wilderness meet hundreds of thousands of acres of cattle and sheep country.  Wet, lush and berry laden corridors lead from the mountains into ranch lands where sheep and cattle graze serenely. These riparian corridors are supreme habitat for bears and other wildlife, but having a “grizzly highway” running through grazing pastures can be a recipe for disaster.

This grizzly bear cub was relocated by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks after getting into livestock.

Despite Defenders’ efforts to minimize conflicts, 2012 is shaping up to be one of the busiest conflict years the bear managers have seen on the Rocky Mountain Front, and September is typically the month with the highest conflicts! Three adult male grizzlies were euthanized after depredating on cattle or sheep, and 13 grizzly bears were relocated.  Three of these relocations were adult females and 2 were cubs of the year.  Grizzly bears reproduce slowly, making female grizzlies especially important to recovery. While these particular Mama grizzlies were given another chance, they have a strike against them and the memory of receiving a “food reward” which could be detrimental if they get into trouble again.

Speculation abounds as to what causes a high conflict year. Drought and natural food failures are important contributing factors. But in the end bears are opportunistic. If they happen upon a smorgasbord of food rewards, whether it is a corn field, a chicken coop or a garbage can, they will take advantage of it. As the saying goes, “a fed bear is a dead bear,” and this has been a particularly bad year for bears.

Can grizzlies coexist in a landscape dotted with so many attractants? The short answer is yes. But it’s up to all of us who care about wildlife to develop the tools and techniques to keep attractants away from grizzlies.

In an effort to allow both grizzlies and ranching to coexist in this majestic landscape, miles of electric fencing has been installed and is being used successfully on the Rocky Mountain Front to deter bears from accessing bee yards, sheep, and calving grounds. Defenders has spent well over $50,000 on electric fencing projects on the Rocky Mountain Front since 1998, including a major expansion of our incentive program this year. But we didn’t do it alone.  Multiple agencies, non-governmental organizations and land/livestock owners have come together to ensure the ranching lifestyle can coexist with a recovery grizzly bear population. Some other nonlethal methods that Defenders has assisted with to reduce livestock depredations are range riders, bear-resistant garbage containers, and livestock protection dogs.

Tolerance for grizzlies is critical to their continued recovery. In 1997, in an effort to boost tolerance for grizzly bears, Defenders established the Grizzly Compensation Trust.  Through this program Defenders pays full market value for livestock verified killed by a grizzly bear and 50% value for livestock that was considered “probably” killed by a grizzly bear.  In 2012 Defenders has paid over $60,000 in compensation to livestock owners–nearly all of them on the Rocky Mountain Front. Since the program’s inception in 1997 Defenders has paid over $350,000 in compensation payments.

As grizzlies reoccupy historic habitat miles out into the high plains, the message and tools of coexistence must follow to ensure the safety of this icon of the West.  Escalating conflicts point to the need to expand the use of nonlethal deterrents that keep bears alive and people safe.