Woman found dead after grizzly bear encounter near Yellowstone National Park

[mahatmakanejeeves]

U.S. NEWS

Woman found dead after grizzly bear encounter near Yellowstone National Park

Last week, Montana wildlife authorities warned of confirmed grizzly sightings throughout the state and urged campers and visitors to exercise caution.

July 24, 2023, 12:31 AM EDT / Source: Associated Press
By The Associated Press

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — A woman was found dead in Montana on Saturday after coming into contact with a grizzly bear on a trail west of Yellowstone National Park.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement on Sunday that the woman was found deceased on a trail near West Yellowstone, a Montana town nestled in the Custer Gallatin National Forest just west of Yellowstone National Park.

They said the woman was found deceased “following an apparent bear encounter” based on what investigators determined were grizzly bear tracks at the scene. The department said the investigation into the grizzly attack was ongoing.

Rangers issued an emergency closure of the area where the woman was found, which is popular with hikers. ... Though the department’s statement said the death appeared to have followed the woman’s interaction with the bear, it did not confirm her cause of death. ... The attack comes amid a rise in Montana’s grizzly bear population and an increase in sightings.

{snip}

[Botany]

1. Meanwhile 24,000 + Americans have died because of guns in 2023

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

[CottonBear]

2. Thie huge number of gun deaths is news that should be reported.

Edited to clarify my statement.

[Botany]

3. Sure you are right but it needs some context

I feel bad for the woman and her family/friends but it will be used as an excuse to kill more bears,
wolves, and cougars. The bear that attacked the woman will be dead very soon.

[CottonBear]

4. Clarification: I meant the huge number of gun deaths should be widely reported.

As for the woman victim, it was surely a terrible way to die. However, the bear was, most likely, just being a grizzly bear. The woman was in the bear’s home environment.

[2naSalit]

5. Bummer.

I'll check with some friends in town and see if I can get any more info. I would like to know which trail she was on and how far from town. There are lots of trails so the article is too ambiguous.

When I find out more I'll report back.

Bears are growing in population and the grizzlies seem to be attempting to reclaim some territory in Montana in particular. See, grizzlies evolved in grasslands, not mountains and they are moving back out into their natural habitat, they seem to be fed up with our species.

ETA: I know this is the Wyoming group and 90% of the park is in Wyoming but this happened in Montana outside the park.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Hmmm. Good point. I'll cross-post it. Thanks. And good morning. NT

[2naSalit]

7. Cool.

Last edited Mon Jul 24, 2023, 07:22 AM - Edit history (1)

And good morning!

The western and northern edges of the park are actually in Montana which means that three of the main entrances are in Montana until you get about two miles inside the park and a little corner in the SW of the park is in Idaho.

The town of West Yellowstone is real sketchy about this kind of news because they fear they might lose five bucks from people been scared off. To the Chamber of Commerce there; anyone or anything that might cause one person with five bucks to not spend it in town is something that should be downplayed to the hilt. They will not tell you, when planning your snowmobile vacation that there isn't any snow and probably won't be during their stay. They would rather people show up and get pissed because they will still spend money while they are there. Tourism is turning into a bad social problem. So they will downplay the dangers of bear country until you get there and then it's more of an invitation to hear a suggestion that you are not safe in bear territory unless you protect yourself in specific ways. It's so stupid and greedy.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. In 1993, I spent a night in West Yellowstone. I should have known to post this in that group. NT

[2naSalit]

9. It happens all the time.

But amazingly in some ways... though most of the park is in Wyoming and the fringe in Montana, Montana plays up the park far more aggressively than Wyoming does. But then, the Wyoming entrances aren't as easy to get to. On the east side Cody is an hour east of the park entrance and you have to clear either Chief Joseph Pass or the infamous Beartooth Pas to get to Cooke City to enter there, also in Montana. The other Wyoming entrance is through Jackson Hole and Teton NP to get to the south entrance.

Many people think they are in Wyoming when they are in West Yellowstone.

[Botany]

10. See, grizzlies evolved in grasslands

Yup! And when they were 1st laying out the parks boundaries they grasslands where the elk and
bison would over winter were included but those boundaries were nixed. Oh what could have been.

[2naSalit]

11. Indeed.

This issue, sadly, is entirely in my wheelhouse as my last couple jobs were about wildlife and bear safety in this region. Actually, predators were my focus, bears fall in that category.

A grizzly was sighted near Big Timber last week, that's interesting to me. I would love to see them gain more territory but humans won't allow it.

[Botany]

12. Can you imagine what Yellowstone would be like if those winter ranges (grasslands) were part of ....

.... the park?

BTW in OH the Bobcat is making a comeback and wouldn't you know there is already
pressure to allow them to be hunted. I almost never hunt* anymore but if people want
to kill things please we have way to many white tailed deer here.

* As a father Sandy Hook really hit me.