YNP has released a news post today detailed the facts surrounding the second death of a black bear in the Park this year.  Apparently over the past few weeks the bear had become increasingly aggressive in the Hellroaring and Yellowstone River drainages, taking food from backpackers’ packs.  The bear evaded multiple traps over a period of days, and was observed yesterday afternoon “in the act of ripping into the packs of a large group of backcountry hikers”. 

The news release reports further –

Based on his aggressive behavior, lack of fear of people, and its success at getting human food, the decision was made to immediately euthanize the bear.  The area was cleared of all visitors and the bear was shot.

There has been discussion in multiple venues about the more aggressive and visible bear behavior this year.  The Park staffs’ commentary sums it up pretty well –

Due to deep snows last winter, in combination with the very late spring we experienced this year, many bears are in poor shape making it more likely that they will seek human foods.  Once bears become conditioned to human foods they are much more likely to damage property and injure people in their efforts to obtain human foods.

We’d urge several action points to consider here –

  • A fed bear is a dead bear; don’t even think about feeding a bear, and protect your food thoughtfully and carefully.  We see coolers left in the back of trucks every where we stop to fish in the Park.  Don’t. 
  • Stay a safe distance from bears in the Park and the region at all times (one hundred yards or better).
  • Study up on bear safety – there are lots of sources (we even have a category about it on the site here). 
  • Bear spray isn’t perfect, but get canisters for all of your group, practice drawing and arming, and have it handy when in the backcountry. 
  • Want more than bear spray?  You can’t carry legally in the Park, but for the region the choice is clearly a lightweight 44 mag.  Seems we’ve gathered a hoard of hunter and fisher stories lately of bear spray failures leading to use of sidearm to spook away or take a charging grizzly down.  We’ll have to share some this summer or fall – they’re pretty interesting to ponder. 

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