[Geysers] Bear management closures - Geyser Basins / denning / habituation

[V]

I always understood that bear closures for this area depended 
on "where" the bears ended up denning and sometimes feeding 
patterns (usually based on the Winter season).  As in, too many 
dens closer to the basins would result in closures.  

If the park knows there more bears in a certain highly used
area than normal, and the park puts a ranger or volunteer in
place instead of closing it... What happens if a person gets 
attacked?  Is the ranger or volunteer going to be in a Lifeguard
Bear Tower?  I think we all know that the person would be so 
bombarded with general Yellowstone questions, that the area
really would be safer it it were closed than staffed.  Again, 
based on the idea that biologists have determined there are 
bears bedded down, feeding, or frequenting an area.

I have seen Grizzly bears and black bears in the "Firehole BMA" 
many times in April and May in many different decades.    I have 
seen the Observation Trail on the way to Solitary Geyser closed 
many many times because of bears.  I have a nice photo of two 
big Grizzly bears who walked from the Mary Mountain trailhead,
crossed the road in front of me and ended up by Fountain Geyser.  
I happen to love Fountain Geyser.  While I love to see it, I don't
want to stand and watch it with a grizzly bear.  Yes, I've been in 
a thermal area and had a bear approach.   ; - ) That said, I'd rather
be in a meadow when it happens.  It is not always preventable,
but if bear biologists have been monitoring an area and bears are 
frequenting it, then the park should post the bear warning closure 
signs.  It's called being responsible and respectful.  Who cares 
anything about the ESA - it's about safety.

I could swear there was a bear feeding on an carcass near Midway 
just last year.  And another near Black Sand Basin.  Someone posted 
photos of them on Y Net or the loon page.  Nice looking bear photos.  

In regards to Bear Management Areas, and why BMA's should stay 
closed.... one only has to think of the term "Habituation".  I think 
anyone who has been in Yellowstone for a while has to know that 
there are "roadside" bears - though not as bad as when people fed
them.   Bears that have been habituated to people.  I am quite 
certain that bear and wolf biologists / park workers can tell you that 
habituation of bears and wolves is a problem in Yellowstone.   
There has to be an area to keep some of the population "wild" with 
more natural behaviors.  Yellowstone does need to address the issue
of habituated bears and wolves.  A Bison herd in Pelican Valley is a 
more natural herd than one hanging out near Madison - it's well
studied and documented.  

In 2007, I saw 16 different bears in ONE day.  There are NEVER 
enough rangers or volunteers to cover all of the bear jams.  
We watched one guy get charged (no ranger on scene), saw a 
guy "sit" in the meadow with the grizzly bear at less than 50 
yards, watched bears stress because the clearance for them to 
move from the bank of photographers was not 100 yards,
have seen MANY cars stopped in the road - in some cases their
car is left on and they are out of their car already watching an 
animal... and lets not forget those who hop out and leave their 
doors open with cars going around them.....
It's always the PEOPLE.  When I see a bad situation, I'll talk to 
the people and if they don't move - I'll drive to get a ranger.
: -)  I've even had a few See Yellowstone guides call in a few 
issues to the rangers for me when they've arrived or passed by.

One ranger, he solves a bear jam - detonates the issue in less than 
7 minutes.  He moves the people, moves the cars and truly 
sets a great boundary.  I've never seen him handle a bear jam
and allow nonsense.  If only there were more like him.  There are 
a few that simply suck.  They leave no space for the bears to cross 
the roads - letting banks of photographers hold the bear at bay 
when the bear is clearly walking toward the road.  I've had a few 
Rangers say that if the photographer started 100 yards away and 
the bear approaches the people, there is no rule against that.  Ugh...
Last May, several people posted photos from a bear jam gone wrong.... 
it was disgusting.  If anyone from the NPS is interested, I'll be more 
than happy to direct them to many different photographers who 
"captured the moment." 

That said, one of the GREATEST issues that the park needs to 
communicate to visitors is:
HOW TO PARK and BEHAVE at a Bear (pick another animal) JAM.  
I'd love to hear a Ranger or volunteer at the gates tell guests
that they must pull safely to the right of the white line, no stopping 
in the road, use pullouts.  Put your car in PARK and close your doors
before getting out to look at an animal.  Then verbally tell the safe
viewing distances.  It is the most out of control issue in the park.

Followed closely by the DOG ISSUES.  
NOTE - - park needs to create a rule regarding those new front carry 
and backpack carriers for dogs.  As in they are NOT ALLOWED even 
if your dog "does not get out of the pack".  We saw so many people 
hiking their small sized "teacup" dogs in those dog packs into the 
backcounty that it will only get worse.  When they reach say, 
Cascade Lake, they pull out their little pet so it can potty.  
At the gate, someone saying, do you have a pet in the car?
If the person says yes, they should be handed the green sheet on
Your Pet in Yellowstone.  
I have a whole collection of photos of dogs in Geyser Basins.  Most 
people cooperate if you nicely explain the rules... but they are not
educated on the rules regarding pets.  There are a few that refuse
and keep on walking with their dogs.  

~ Vicky



--- On Tue, 3/10/09, Seeyellowstone at aol.com <Seeyellowstone at aol.com> wrote:

> From: Seeyellowstone at aol.com <Seeyellowstone at aol.com>
> Subject: [Geysers] New bear management closure
> To: geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
> Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 6:25 PM
> 
> Hi all!  
>  
> I just got back from the park, and by the way Fountain
> at 13:31 ie, and it 
> quit at 13:41.  FOR ANY RANGERS THAT MAY BE READING
> THIS, YES WE WATCHED IT FROM THE ROAD.
>  
> Just as the dust settled from the tree thinning
> project, I have some news which will kick up even more dust.
>  
> Today, the Park Service has closed the Fountain Paint
> Pots and Midway 
> Geyser Basin for Bear Management.  The Park
> Service's new interpretation of 
> the Firehole BMA is that the boardwalks, within the
> management area should have 
> been closed, instead of open such as in the past. 
> Megan at the OFVC told 
> me that these boardwalks will remain closed until Memorial
> Weekend.  I'm 
> scared to point out Biscuit and Black Sand are within the
> BMA, however, at this 
> point the remain open.  So any of you thinking you
> will be spending a nice 
> spring evening at Fountain, you will have to wait until
> Memorial weekend.
>  
> Now for my thoughts on this:
>  
> 1.  The grizzly bear was de-listed last year
> in April, so why are 
> we creating more closures for them, we should be opening
> more areas, as they 
> have recovered quite well.  When I started guiding in
> 1991, it was common 
> to see less than 10 bears during the entire season. 
> Now, I have at 
> least 150 sightings a year, including grizzlies on the ski
> slopes of Big Sky, 
> frequently.  People for the most part, have learned to
> live with bears, and 
> the park's bear rangers do an excellent job at
> jams.  With the amount of 
> grizzlies I have seen in developed areas, the more we all
> have to learn to live 
> with them.  This is a great opportunity, especially in
> the Old Faithful 
> area, where most visitors go, to educate the visitors. By
> having bear rangers or 
> volunteers helping to manage the jams, and to keep an eye
> on the bears in the 
> geyser basins.  Instead of closing it, have someone
> out there talking about 
> the bears, educating the guest, and keeping the visitor at
> a safe 
> distance.  This will keep people safe and educate them
> rather than closing 
> more of the park to them.  I for one, would be glad to
> volunteer in April 
> and early May when the bear activity is at it's
> greatest and my work days are 
> few.  The park uses volunteers, Xanterra's
> Security and others to keep 
> people safe during the elk rut in Mammoth, why can't we
> do the same thing at Old 
> Faithful with bears.  I'd bet good old #6 (god
> rest his soul) has attacked 
> and or charged more people than all of the bears
> combined.
>  
> 2.  What scares me is what the park is apparently
> doing, is 
> redefining the Fountain Paint Pots and Midway as "back
> country", as apparently, 
> the road is the front country, and open.  from what I
> understand, the Paint 
> Pots and Midway in the past have been considered the front
> country.  They 
> should not re-define areas as backcounrty, when all of our
> concessions permits 
> and all other common sense says that it is
> front-country.  The park is 
> re-interpreting a rule from 1983.  I hesitate to
> point out that the 
> Artemesia trail, is way more dangerous, and has more bear
> activity than all four 
> of the boardwalks combined.  
>  
> 3. I think this is a dangerous president for the
> endangered species act, by 
> closing more areas for a specie, that is considered
> recovered.  I feel this 
> may give ammo to those against the act, closing more after
> a specie 
> recovered.  The point of the act is to close areas to
> help them recover, 
> and once recovered, to open the areas up again and to
> manage the area to keep 
> the specie from being re-listed.  If we keep closing
> things after a specie 
> is recovered, I think this may cause those opposed to the
> act to say "look, they 
> are just saying this specie is endangered to close off this
> area."  
>  
> I guess for those of you that want to see Fountain you
> will want to come 
> after Memorial Weekend, and for those that need to travel
> between Madison and 
> Norris to get here, you will want to come before August
> 17th, when that road 
> closes.
>  
> I have heard of Bear sightings in the Northern Range
> (Little America, 
> Bunsen Peak), near the South Entrance and south of Big
> Sky.  None so far in 
> the Firehole BMA.
>  
> I can't wait to see some of your thoughts,
>  
> Jim
> YTG 
>
> 
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