Grizzly questions..

[Jjolg123]

Originally Posted by SageValleyOutdoors

This might be a bit of a derail - but when talking about human caused mortality - do they allow First Nations to hunt grizzlies? I’d heard from a guy at work that he was allowed to (he never did) so long as he registered the kill with F&W.

Anyone know if there’s any truth to that?

Im going to assume they can as one of the listed reasons for mortality was treaty.

[Jjolg123]

double post

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by SageValleyOutdoors

This might be a bit of a derail - but when talking about human caused mortality - do they allow First Nations to hunt grizzlies? I’d heard from a guy at work that he was allowed to (he never did) so long as he registered the kill with F&W.

Anyone know if there’s any truth to that?

Yep, they can. With a .50 BMG if so inclined

[Big Grey Wolf]

Hunted most of Alberta foothills for 60 years. In 60-80's you seldom saw a grizz track and bear sighting were very rare. Now in most BMA's they are as common as black bears. I now carry handgun on the trapline as tracks/grizz everywhere.
They also are now much more dangerous as they have lost respect for man that Mr.Winchester taught them over last 150 years.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Hunted most of Alberta foothills for 60 years. In 60-80's you seldom saw a grizz track and bear sighting were very rare. Now in most BMA's they are as common as black bears. I now carry handgun on the trapline as tracks/grizz everywhere.
They also are now much more dangerous as they have lost respect for man that Mr.Winchester taught them over last 150 years.

Just curious, if a draw hunt was offered, how many kills a year do you or anyone on AO think it would take to keep the GB numbers in check?

BW

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Just curious, if a draw hunt was offered, how many kills a year do you or anyone on AO think it would take to keep the GB numbers in check?

BW

Not an easy question to answer and would involve a lot of information on the population numbers and make up. Also depends on the number set for harvest goal

It would also depend on the number of sows vs boars harvested. When BC had the grizzly hunt tag numbers could dramatically fluctuate according to the number of sow grizzly taken. The unit I hunted the tag numbers would fluctuate up to 50% back and forth roughly 30 tags difference some years

Any number give would be a wild guess

[st99]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Just curious, if a draw hunt was offered, how many kills a year do you or anyone on AO think it would take to keep the GB numbers in check?

BW

F@G officers kill 25 g bear per year on average and they're still growing. So they could easily allow 30 grizzly tag per year.

[Osky]

Originally Posted by st99

F@G officers kill 25 g bear per year on average and they're still growing. So they could easily allow 30 grizzly tag per year.

They could your right. However they will give the excuse that those 30 tags won't harvest the problem bears so it will result in 60 bears per year being harvested in the end.

Osky

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Osky

They could your right. However they will give the excuse that those 30 tags won't harvest the problem bears so it will result in 60 bears per year being harvested in the end.

Osky

When GB we’re on draw does anyone recall how many permits were given and what the success rate was?

If Alberta has a population of 1000 GB. I would think a 30 bear harvest should sustain the population. My guess is if 30 tags were issued on a 21 day spring hunt the harvest would only be close to 50 percent.

BW

[Osky]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

When GB we’re on draw does anyone recall how many permits were given and what the success rate was?

If Alberta has a population of 1000 GB. I would think a 30 bear harvest should sustain the population. My guess is if 30 tags were issued on a 21 day spring hunt the harvest would only be close to 50 percent.

BW

In Minnesota during our yearly fall black bear season 31% harvest is about the top I've seen reported. I think over the years it averages maybe 25%? That is for the most part over the bait hunting. A 45 day season give or take.
I would have to believe your grizzlies are more of a challenge so I'd be surprised if a 50% harvest could be accomplished during a 2-3 month season?
I could be wrong.

Osky

[Stinky Coyote]

there's only 500 g-bears in alberta

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Osky

In Minnesota during our yearly fall black bear season 31% harvest is about the top I've seen reported. I think over the years it averages maybe 25%? That is for the most part over the bait hunting. A 45 day season give or take.
I would have to believe your grizzlies are more of a challenge so I'd be surprised if a 50% harvest could be accomplished during a 2-3 month season?
I could be wrong.

Osky

With the grizzly hunt in BC the % of grizzly tags filled was fairly low do to hunters being extremely selective. Most viewed the hunt as an animal they only wanted to take one and it was more of an experience. One thing though tags were easy to draw and many areas you could be drawn every year. If a guy wanted bear meet it was cheaper to shoot a black bear

To shoot a grizzly is not that difficult in my opinion expecially with a rifle but once you start being really selective that changes. Personally I hunted them with a bow 9 times and passed on lots of bears doing so because it had to be huge and with a bow. I know many other hunters similar to me who hunted them lots but passed on bears because they only wanted one in their life

Chasing grizzly around the avalanche shoots in the Rockies is probably my favorite hunts and truly miss it. I only wanted one and in ways I think I was so picky because I did not want the hunt to end. Helped many others take grizzly by playing the roll of back up and spotter because I just enjoyed the hunt it self.

I know many others that were like me they loved the grizzly hunt but chose to be extremely picky. It may not make sense to some hunters

Don’t mind my rambling but what I am getting at is I would not be surprised harvests rates were low do to selective harvest more than the difficulty of the hunt.

Grizzly hunting can be addictive

[TBark]

Or even 100 tags, easily managed.
If the threat is on Ag land, open a hunt up in these areas to start.
Let a grizz be a grizz way back in the bush and in the mountains.

Another one showed up on our land yesterday in Snipe Lake area.

TBark

[st99]

Originally Posted by TBark

Or even 100 tags, easily managed.
If the threat is on Ag land, open a hunt up in these areas to start.
Let a grizz be a grizz way back in the bush and in the mountains.

Another one showed up on our land yesterday in Snipe Lake area.

TBark

That's one way they could justify reintroducing a grizzly hunt. Just open a limited draw season in the zones near civilization. This could potentially reduce conflicts, therefore free up the F&G officers for other tasks.

[DiabeticKripple]

Grizz or not?

I’m leaning towards yes based on the face, but not much of a hump. I’m no bear identification expert but I can guess the easy ones. Camera was placed about 3.5ft off the ground.

5 mins west of Rocky Mtn House.






It also looks like it’s tagged on its left ear, yellow button.

[Pathfinder76]

Yes, that’s a grizzly

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by chuck

Yes, that’s a grizzly

Yep

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by st99

F@G officers kill 25 g bear per year on average and they're still growing. So they could easily allow 30 grizzly tag per year.

In the old Hunt days, Hunters used to kill less than 20 bears a year, no reason we couldn't do that again, easily.

Grizz

[35 whelen]

In my opinion this Grizzly hunt will never happen again in Canada even though it could easily be managed for 20 to 30 Bears a year that fish and wildlife probably kill anyway.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

In my opinion this Grizzly hunt will never happen again in Canada even though it could easily be managed for 20 to 30 Bears a year that fish and wildlife probably kill anyway.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Sadly because it is an extremely political issue you are correct unless we see a big changes in politics

BC lost its hunt because the NDP deemed it “socially un except able” . It was proven do to ever increasing grizzly numbers that the hunt was sustainable and well managed

[Osky]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Sadly because it is an extremely political issue you are correct unless we see a big changes in politics

BC lost its hunt because the NDP deemed it “socially un except able” . It was proven do to ever increasing grizzly numbers that the hunt was sustainable and well managed

Once they accomplish a hunting ban under that pretense, why won’t it work for other species? It will, tip of the iceberg.

Osky

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Osky

Once they accomplish a hunting ban under that pretense, why won’t it work for other species? It will, tip of the iceberg.

Osky

I agree and won’t be surprised if it does but think of BC as Canada’s California so its more likely there

[calgarychef]

The grizzly will never be hunted again in Alberta. They’ll resort to shooting “problem” bears on a more frequent basis.

[SnipeHunter]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

In my opinion this Grizzly hunt will never happen again in Canada even though it could easily be managed for 20 to 30 Bears a year that fish and wildlife probably kill anyway.

They are by nature a prairie species. If farmers are not allowed to shoot them, we could start seeing them east of the No. 2 regularly before long.

I know sightings east of No. 2 have been made already.

[Smoky buck]

Double post

[Smoky buck]

I am curious does anyone know what grizzly densities in the prairie’s were roughly in the past?

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I am curious does anyone know what grizzly densities in the prairie’s were roughly in the past?

Lewis and Clark.

https://www.lewis-clark.org/article/899


Grizz

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Lewis and Clark.

https://www.lewis-clark.org/article/899


Grizz

Definitely some interesting encounters too bad there was not more about the population numbers but can’t expect much from that time

[SnipeHunter]

The Cypress Hills, bordering Alberta and Saskatchewan, were considered the last remaining refuge of grizzly bears in the Prairies (Nelson 1973). By the mid-19th century, farming and ranching had spread throughout the surrounding prairies, yet the Cypress Hills remained undisturbed for many more years (Nielsen 1975). The Hills supported a large population of
grizzly bears and hundreds of skins were obtained in the 1870s

See page 2.

https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/s...pop_0707_e.pdf

[mtnhunter]

Instead of F&W killing the problem bears, I think it would be great for our province to auction off a grizzly bear tag and the highest bidder has a F&W "guided hunt" to harvest the problem bear. Would make the province money which would benefit conservation efforts, eliminate a problem and make the hunter happy. A win-win-win in my opinion!