Bear 399 Has Died

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Whiskeyman said:
Absolutely! Great observation. But it's still unfortunate whenever any animal is killed by motor vehicles. People, too.
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In addition to maybe keeping boars away - another aspect of them hanging around roads that I saw mentioned is the presence of roadkill as a food source attractant for the bears. Bears are always ready to take advantage of an easy meal.

When I read the notice of the accident with 399 another thing unusual was the accident happened south of the town of Jackson. That 399 was that far south from the Yellowstone/Teton eco-system is kinda unusual I believe. An indication that the grizzly population is expanding due to bear population density in the parks.
 
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PhilcTx said:
In addition to maybe keeping boars away - another aspect of them hanging around roads that I saw mentioned is the presence of roadkill as a food source attractant for the bears. Bears are always ready to take advantage of an easy meal.

When I read the notice of the accident with 399 another thing unusual was the accident happened south of the town of Jackson. That 399 was that far south from the Yellowstone/Teton eco-system is kinda unusual I believe. An indication that the grizzly population is expanding due to bear population density in the parks.
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She's been traveling farther outside the park and outside Jackson every late summer and fall for the last few years. Since there've also been reports of her and her cubs getting into human food, I suspect that's because the food is less secure the farther away she got from the park.
 
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Woody Meristem said:
A 1 1/2 year-old cub should survive with little problem, black bear cubs do it all the time. But it's a shame that she had to die the way she did, she deserved to die as many bears do, go into a den for the winter and never emerge.
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I SO agree! That is what I wish had happened! She didn’t deserve to die that way. But accidents happen, and I totally understand it. I couldn’t avoid hitting a young deer this summer on my way out of Teddy Roosevelt National Park, it was unavoidable, and I was so sad! I believe the queen of the Tetons will live forever in all of our memories.
 
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Dave Dube said:
On what I feel is a brighter note, she won't be some hunter's prize kill. At 18 months the cub might have just started weaning. Though it's rare, some mother grizzly bears may adopt stray cubs.
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Yes! When I heard she had wandered outside the park this fall. I was very concerned.!
 
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MartyD said:
My wife and I have been watching 399 for years and are going to miss trying to track her down each summer in the Tetons.

This is one of my favorite memories of 399 from the summer of 2020.

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Thank you so much for sharing this sweet video! I was working in Yellowstone National Park the summer of 2020 and tried several times to see her, never successful. Then, this year and after several visits since 2020, I finally got to see her and her one cub. Very special moments, and I’m so thankful! I got a few pictures!
 
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PhilcTx said:
I agree. Wild critter's lives are comparatively brutal and most likely never die of old age.

It has been said that it's possible 399 and perhaps other grizzly sows learned that hanging around roadways with their traffic and human crowds tended to keep the boar bears away that would kill cubs.

399 was a prolific momma bear - but her possible learned behavior to hang around roadways in the end may have contributed to her own demise.
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You may be forgetting that she would at times disappear for extended periods and be nowhere near roads. It’s not like she was constantly there.
 
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PhilcTx said:
Yes - however endangered species protection de-listing may be imminent.

www.outdoorlife.com

Montana’s New Grizzly Bear Plan Says It's Ready to Take Back Management from the Feds

Montana wildlife managers released a new plan that would guide the state's management of grizzly bears should the species be delisted.
www.outdoorlife.com www.outdoorlife.com
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And that's part of what prompted my comment, delisting invites poaching. Here in Oregon it's like more Bull elk go to poachers than tag carrying hunter's.
 
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Dave Dube said:
And that's part of what prompted my comment, delisting invites poaching. Here in Oregon it's like more Bull elk go to poachers than tag carrying hunter's.
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De-listing will be the kiss of death for many grizzlies since most of the states with grizzly populations seem to have no interest in maintaining a sustainable population (the same goes for gray wolves as well).
 
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Although I am of course sad to hear what happened, I am so heartened by the fact that so many people on this board have a great love and respect for wildlife similar to my own.
 
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