2018 could be the deadliest year in the record books for the estimated 700 grizzly bears that reside in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Yellowstone-area grizzly bears are dying at a record clip ahead of the first legal hunt in 44 years, though scientists and managers say they need more data to judge the mortality’s significance.
Through the second week of August, 33 grizzlies have been found dead or deemed “probable” deaths, according to an online database maintained by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. That count, at this point in the year, surpasses numbers from all other years listed in the database, though federal scientists keeping tabs on the population say they aren’t yet alarmed.
“The season where everything is usually determined in terms of grizzly bear…
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Exposing the Big Game 
I’m waiting for August 30 – I hope they have this high mortality data ready for a judge to review. I don’t think being unprepared for court will go over well.
I have been thinking about this, and about how alarming it is that wildlife agencies couldn’t even wait one year after a delisting to have a hunting season! It would have been nice to have waited at least one year to have the data before a hunting season. Now it looks as if they really don’t care about the health of the species, and the only thing these state care about is being able to kill them again. I really don’t think this is going to go over well with a judge, or at least I hope it doesn’t.
Yep, they really don’t care.
Forgot to add – knowing this, I’m glad Montana took the conservative approach and decided to wait.
Unfortunately, they changed their minds. I posted on it when they decided a month or so ago (you can probably find it by searching the archives here).
Jeez! I’m hoping they’ll all get a good what-for on Aug. 30.