Grizzlies on the move - further empirical proof of how important facts are for debate

[Xenomorph]

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/west+young+bear+wave+swimming+grizzlies+98colonizi ng+islands/12225776/story.html



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[Xenomorph]

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[Seeadler]

This means that the mainland is at its carrying capacity.

[finaddict]

"A cocktail of plums, Beaver and bacon ultimately lured the bears into the traps"

Have to admit that a cocktail of Beaver and bacon would probably have lured me into the trap WITH the bears......

[Spy]

This means that the mainland is at its carrying capacity.
X2 I have said it all along when the "Great Bear Rain Forest" started "managing" the area and stopped "trophy hunting", shit was going to go downhill quickly! You have to manage these predators otherwise you are going to have problems. Management is lost on these tree huggers as they are anti hunting, which was a great tool, they refuse to use. Spirit Bears will be taking a huge hit and the gene will be lost if we don't mange the growing Grizz pop.

[steepNdeep]

Interesting - thanks for posting. As ecosystems reach their carrying capacity, the younger, weaker bears are forced out. These are the bears that end up at the dump & in in town = 'welfare bears'. Like others have said, it shows the need for predator management. I like these bears ingenuity & determination, tho'!..

[Stone Sheep Steve]

When hunters select old males out of the population, it effectively increases the carrying capacity due to their territorial behaviour (social density) and tendency of killing cubs that they did not sire.
Conversely, leaving these older males in the population effectively decreases the carrying capacity. Makes sense that younger males and females with young would disperse for safer ground.

[Xenomorph]

Interesting - thanks for posting. As ecosystems reach their carrying capacity, the younger, weaker bears are forced out. These are the bears that end up at the dump & in in town = 'welfare bears'. Like others have said, it shows the need for predator management. I like these bears ingenuity & determination, tho'!..

Thanks man, and more often then not those welfare bears are young ones or females and cubs looking for a safe spot to feed as all the best feeding spots are taken by mature males.


When hunters select old males out of the population, it effectively increases the carrying capacity due to their territorial behaviour (social density) and tendency of killing cubs that they did not sire.
Conversely, leaving these older males in the population effectively decreases the carrying capacity. Makes sense that younger males and females with young would disperse for safer ground.

I remember the conversation in my circle a few years ago on "trophy hunting". They were somewhat anti hunting with the occasional polar bear kill and all the subsequent hunter shaming rhetoric. I grew a pair one day and challenged them in public with an objective discussion and some facts thrown around - true, situation helped as well, it was the year Banff Park experienced a total cub die off due to overpopulation of adult males.

Needless to say it's been years since any more anti hunting messages have been passed around. It doesn't take much, the intelligent majority will take the facts and make a mature argument and justification pro-hunt, the ones with an agenda are the few that won't be persuaded by facts, but are not to be ignored.

I've never seen myself as an activist, but I guess de facto I/We am/are. Whether you eat them or not, you and I hunt bears for the benefit of bears. I, personally, find them delicious which definitely makes an even easier way of justifying to the "waste group".

[Iltasyuko]

If the population is increasing to the point Grizzlies noticeably start inhabiting areas previously void, and people need to assume an increased risk working / recreating, and if encounters increase with negative human outcomes, it will be interesting to see if there is a change in popular opinion on the G/B hunt.

[finngun]

Does anyone knows,,or can quess..how many grizz approximatly is living already van island?is there any data,,or info about that?;-) f---g

[Xenomorph]

Does anyone knows,,or can quess..how many grizz approximatly is living already van island?is there any data,,or info about that?;-) f---g

I'm not familiar with who's the biologist on the island, but from what I've heard there have been tests and hair traps that confirmed they're on the NVI. How many? I have no idea if anyone has made a count yet. There are sightings, empirical evidence of them being there. Might be a good topic to ask Nanaimo wildlife branch, or BCWF.


Here's another "little grizzly"
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grizzly-bear-sechelt-1.3779983