With two fatal grizzly maulings in Yellowstone National Park this summer, it's understandable if some feel intimidated about hiking in the park's backcountry. Would you cancel a hike because of those incidents?
Neither published records nor park officials can cite another year when bear attacks killed two Yellowstone visitors. Were this year's attacks just an extreme coincidence, or is it getting more risky to hike into grizzly bear habitat?
Whatever the reason, tell us if this summer's incidents have you canceling or reconsidering hiking into Yellowstone's landscape.
Comments
Kurt,
I am concerned about the apparently new policy that a bear can kill a human and not be euthenized if it is protecting cubs. Where will this lead in the future? Will black bears and mountain lions also be allowed to kill humans if it is determined that it is justifiable? At the same time a man in Idaho faces one year in jail and a $50,000 dollar fine for shooting a grizzley in his back yard to protect his "cubs". Personally, I believe a top omnivoire like a Grizzley if protected long enough in a confined area like Yellowstone will not only rebound but overpopulate the area. While considered a threatened species outside the park, it has been removed for the threatened speicies list inside the park. Bear and human encounters will increase with more deaths if the bear people ratio in the park is not addressed. National Parks and Wilderness areas were set aside for humans and not intended to be primarily game preserves. The Rangers in Yellowstone had better hope that the recent killing of a Michigan man was not a repeat offense of the sow grizzly from July. The incident was only 8 miles away.
I am planning to go fishing on the Snake River in the Grand Teton National Park in about two weeks. While I was there last fall I was been told there is a grizzly in the area. I had bear spray, and watched the surrounding area carefully. This year, after two people have been killed by bears, I plan to carry bear spray and a colt .45. I've heard some bears are unaffected by pepper spray, and I understand shooting a bear is unlawful. Just the same life, liberty, and the pursuit happiness are important to me.
No, I would not cancel a hike. BUT I go prepared with bear spray and hike in a group. I also remind myself before I go on what I should do if confronted. If we spot a bear, we avoid the bear and its surroundings. Be smart.
My husband and I have hiked in Glacier and Denali. We have seen Grizzly bears at both places. Does the recent incident make less likely to hike....NO. I still it is more dangerous to drive to the airport than hike where Grizzlies live.
We should protect all wildlife in national parks, among the only small fragmented refuges remaining for
large mammals requiring much open space. Visitors need to be instructed: Enter this Trail at your own
Risk like you do each day you drive a vehicle knowing approximately 44,000 fellow citizens
are killed each year in crashes. We do not need an autocratic NPS Bureaucracy consuming scarce
Taxpayer dollars engaged in pseudo-research whose mission is to kill bears with a natural instinct
to defend their cubs. Wildlife die on highways in parks because of distracted drivers each day. If more
rangers were on the highways (instead of their computer cubicles) fining speeding drivers in the parks, less
wildlife would perish. For the readers who carry concealed weapons, visit urban parks where your prey
will be the vicious human predator.
I wouldn't place too much faith in the idea that you are safer traveling in groups... what was it here just a month or two back, seven young men were attacked and badly mauled. And carrying a big gun might or might not stop one. Your best bet is, carry a gun and bear spray, and know how to use them. Travel with more than seven to a group, make Lot's of noise ( so much for a relaxing hike), don't take a bath, or cook anything that smells, or use anything that smells, like bug spray. Try to avoid rubber like, boats, boots, coats,etc. And avoid animal carcases that have been feed upon and buried out of sight...wait, if they are buried, then you probably won't see them before it's too late - in this case it would be best to remain in your vehicle with the doors locked and windows up. And remember, just because you feel like you or your family are in danger, does give you the right to protect yourself! Remember, these are only a few of the rules you should follow when you are about to enjoy a hike. Every bear reacts differently and in some cases nothing you do will work and you will be eaten. Thank you and have a nice day!
I thought this was very interesting and very informative!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/casey-anderson/becoming-a-skunk_b_947342.html
As a landscape photographer and outdoor enthusiast, the common sense side of me says the chances of seeing let alone having a grizzly bear encounter are slim. However, there is still a part of me that is a bit apprehensive about venturing too far into grizzly country, be it Yellowstone, Glacier, Denali, or any other national park which these magnificient creatures call home.
Maybe it is because I rarely hike alone, often visiting the parks with my wife and, in the near future, my newborn son (no, I won't be taking my newborn into the woods...we're going to wait a year or two, opting for short, safe hikes in local state parks until he is a bit older), that makes me extra cautious when venturing into an area where I am no longer at the top of the food chain.
Still, I hope to visit Yellowstone in the near future. The geysers, watefalls, geothermal features, abundant other wildlife, etc. are all too much to miss out on due to the presence of one species of bear. When I do visit, I will be packing my bear spray and adhere to all park regulations and heed trail warnings. Better safe than sorry! :)