I think it would be awesome. Sure it would add a bit more edge to camping, but we have them in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming very few incidents have occurred in the last 10 years.. Maybe we could hunt them again in the Rocky Mountains some day. I seem to remember grizzly hunting stopped around 1972 or so in Montana.

How are you going to "re-introduce" a species that was never totally eradicated?

The Colorado grizzly is alive and well living at elevations with little human contact.

quote:

Originally posted by drewhenrytnt:
How are you going to "re-introduce" a species that was never totally eradicated?

The Colorado grizzly is alive and well living at elevations with little human contact.

Yep. I grew up in CO and I've seen 2 grizzlies in the state over the years. There aren't many of them and you have to be way back in the rough country to find them but they are still there. Ask a game warden about it. They will hedge their bets and say grizzles "could" still be in the state and not that grizzlies "aren't" in the state. Remember, CO shares a border with WY and there is nothing to stop either a grizzly or wolf for that matter crossing that border. There have been several wolves spotted in the northwest part of CO that came down from WY.

Besides, if they did a re-introduction, the idiots from CA that have moved into the state would demand that the areas they put them be completely off limits so the bears can have "space". You would never and I mean never see a season on them. It wouldn't matter if the damn things were dining on small children, they would be totally protected (like they are now) and off limits to hunters. If MT or WY can't have a legal grizzly season what makes you think that CO, with millions of displaced idiots from the Land of the Looney, will be able to pull one off. Not in this lifetime!

Grizzly hunts in MT ended in 1991.

As to very few incidents, that isn't exactly the case. Take a look at the studies by the Interagency Bear Study Team, or the Montana FWP. Incidents have increased over the last 15 years due to bear population expansion in the Bob Marshall wilderness/Glacier Park area. A bear wandered all the way to Great Falls last year. The Yellowstone area has seen a similar trend.

Colorado may have some grizzly, but I doubt there are many. Could there be a population, sure. Should it be increased? Probably not.

Don't get me wrong, I love grizzly bears. Seeing one is a highlight of any trip back home. That said, they aren't a simple animal to live with. They take a determined population of people who want them there and want learn to live with them. It is very easy to want them, and very hard to live with them.

Jeremy

The Feds are now in the process of delisting them from the ESA and turning control over to the states just like they did wolves several years ago. When that happens it is very possible that there will be a few tags issued in each of the states to take one legally and it will cost big bucks! However, the antis will hold everything up through the court systems like they always do, but science has already shown that the bears are fully recovered and that should prevail. It's anyone's guess whether it will be a year or 5 before it happens, but it's coming.

Grizzly bears are cool but like wolves they eat elk and deer. In Wyoming I have had them come to the shot of my rifle to make a contest of who gets the elk. I had to give one up. We don't need anymore Grizzly bears or wolves in our elk country.

Chuck,
The biggest reason to not introduce or re introduce anything is the government oversight. Generally speaking, no state appreciates the opinion of another state or federal government, no rural town appreciates the opinion of a major metro area or the distant state capitol.

If the habitat is conducive to grizzly bears, the grizzlies will be there. If not, its likely the local residents won't appreciate the measures taken to make the habitat grizzly friendly.

I do still like the idea of African game introduced in Australia.

As a hunter I'm game for all. Wolf, Griz etc.
BUT NO FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT
All they do is F...k things up royally

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
Grizzly hunts in MT ended in 1991.

As to very few incidents, that isn't exactly the case. Take a look at the studies by the Interagency Bear Study Team, or the Montana FWP. Incidents have increased over the last 15 years due to bear population expansion in the Bob Marshall wilderness/Glacier Park area. A bear wandered all the way to Great Falls last year. The Yellowstone area has seen a similar trend.

Colorado may have some grizzly, but I doubt there are many. Could there be a population, sure. Should it be increased? Probably not.

Don't get me wrong, I love grizzly bears. Seeing one is a highlight of any trip back home. That said, they aren't a simple animal to live with. They take a determined population of people who want them there and want learn to live with them. It is very easy to want them, and very hard to live with them.

Jeremy

I lived with them in Western Montana through the 70s and loved the fact that they were there though I had a few (three or four) tense moments. I hiked the length of "The Bob" by myself in 1978 six months after falling three stories off of a roof, maybe that's why I'm not all there lol

Anytime wolves or grizzlies are introduced into a western state they should be required to be introduced to an eastern state as well. Just trying to share the wealth.

quote:

Anytime wolves or grizzlies are introduced into a western state they should be required to be introduced to an eastern state as well. Just trying to share the wealth.

Wow. I flashed to hunting quail in South Georgia with my 410 and here comes a grizzly out of the cover.

Chuck,

They you understand what I mean. I don't think the people of Colorado would handle it well. The Denver liberals would love them, but not have to live with them. The folks further out, would be split between liking them around, and wanting every last one dead.

God forbid our government get involved as has been noted by several on here.

That must have been a great hike. I did an east to west trek through the "Bob" in 1997, going in at Gibson Reservoir and coming out at Holland Lake. I never did the north to south trek. That would be a great trip, though.

Jeremy

Understand, it was a great hike. I had been in a back brace from neck to groin for 5 months and a month after getting out of it decided to see what I was made of. Young and stupid lol. I carried my trusty 270 a sleeping bag, ground cloth with everything but the rifle weighing 20 lbs (all I could carry at the time). It was wonderful. I had a grizzly about 5 days in take a decided interest in me, finally had to move camp. I'll never forget the trip. I used to help guide in the Bob (wrangler, assistant guide, etc) and dearly love the Swan Range.

Best to you,

Chuck

Don't limit the introduction to Colorado.
Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington all have habitat suitable for grizzly's.

quote:

Originally posted by Palidun:
Grizzly bears are cool but like wolves they eat elk and deer. In Wyoming I have had them come to the shot of my rifle to make a contest of who gets the elk. I had to give one up. We don't need anymore Grizzly bears or wolves in our elk country.

Tell me more on this one....I gotta know the details

While we are at it let's reintroduce Elk, Bison Wolves and the Grizzly to their entire home range. Lewis and Clark encountered them in Missouri I believe and all over the plains. We will start by knocking down every fence from the Missouri River west just for starters.
By the way there are a few Griz in Colorado, I've not seen them but saw pictures of a cub and Sow above timberline near my Deer and Elk unit.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
While we are at it let's reintroduce Elk, Bison Wolves and the Grizzly to their entire home range. Lewis and Clark encountered them in Missouri I believe and all over the plains. We will start by knocking down every fence from the Missouri River west just for starters.
By the way there are a few Griz in Colorado, I've not seen them but saw pictures of a cub and Sow above timberline near my Deer and Elk unit.

Glad to hear it, we need a bunch more on the front range to scare the Californians out lol

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
While we are at it let's reintroduce Elk, Bison Wolves and the Grizzly to their entire home range. Lewis and Clark encountered them in Missouri I believe and all over the plains. We will start by knocking down every fence from the Missouri River west just for starters.
By the way there are a few Griz in Colorado, I've not seen them but saw pictures of a cub and Sow above timberline near my Deer and Elk unit.

Snell....I live with a sow grizz from time to time here in SEMO

I've seen the claws and teeth!!

It all just depends on how bad I effed up at the given time

I had one of them.
She chewed on me awhile then spit me out.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I had one of them.
She chewed on me awhile then spit me out.

Ouch

Careful what you wish for.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1446...rspaw-neighbourhood/

Grizz

If they reintroduce them back, I say start in Wasington D.C.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I had one of them.
She chewed on me awhile then spit me out.

Ouch

Ted that was like a "catch and release" marriage.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I had one of them.
She chewed on me awhile then spit me out.

Ouch

Ted that was like a "catch and release" marriage.

That is the best kind of marriage.

quote:

Originally posted by drummondlindsey:

If you are rolling your eyes over the point made about bears and wolves eating elk and you hunt either then you are truly not so smart. If you like encountering Grizzly bears at close range while looking for game you have just shot then you are a fool. Where I hunt elk early in the season these bears are a pain to work around and you have to treat them like juvenile pedestrians where they have no such rules. The wolves have really cut the numbers of elk I was used to seeing in my favorite hunt areas, introducing them was another act of greenie stupidity.

I used to deal with grizzlies on our kills in the Bob Marshall. Sure you have to be a little careful coming back to your kill if you're packing out an elk a quarter at a time. If it was about convenience and safety you'd just buy your meat at the supermarket. It's not stupidity, it's a question of quality of the hunting / wilderness experience. You can put some high fences up, raise some elk and shoot them from your deck and not worry about bears. You won't even need to draw a tag ...

quote:

Originally posted by Palidun:

quote:

Originally posted by drummondlindsey:

If you are rolling your eyes over the point made about bears and wolves eating elk and you hunt either then you are truly not so smart. If you like encountering Grizzly bears at close range while looking for game you have just shot then you are a fool. Where I hunt elk early in the season these bears are a pain to work around and you have to treat them like juvenile pedestrians where they have no such rules. The wolves have really cut the numbers of elk I was used to seeing in my favorite hunt areas, introducing them was another act of greenie stupidity.

That drummond doesn't know much about elk...bear or wolf......OMG.....I can't say that with a straight face

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
I used to deal with grizzlies on our kills in the Bob Marshall. Sure you have to be a little careful coming back to your kill if you're packing out an elk a quarter at a time. If it was about convenience and safety you'd just buy your meat at the supermarket. It's not stupidity, it's a question of quality of the hunting / wilderness experience. You can put some high fences up, raise some elk and shoot them from your deck and not worry about bears. You won't even need to draw a tag ...

The quality of the hunt includes the number of animals to hunt right? You seem not to be "getting it". I'm not saying I don't want the bears and wolves around, just that I could easily get by with half as many as there are. I would like to see a season on Grizzly bears if nothing else to give them some fear of us.

Agree.

We freely gave away some wolves, we will surely be able to give you a few bears if it helps, lol. No really, we need a hundred or so less in southern alberta at least.

I've got 20 acres in Guffey Co, A sow with some cubs would be welcome. I think there might be a few regulatory hurdles to overcome though ...

quote:

Originally posted by ravenr:
Don't limit the introduction to Colorado.
Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington all have habitat suitable for grizzly's.

Great... Sure, why not...then they could join the 4,000-6,000 Cougar that already can't be hunted.

I believe they could be released in most states...within city parks. If they fair well in those small areas, they could then be introduced into suburbs and state forests.

quote:

Originally posted by prof242:
I believe they could be released in most states...within city parks. If they fair well in those small areas, they could then be introduced into suburbs and state forests.

Central Park would be a great place to start!

quote:

Great... Sure, why not...then they could join the 4,000-6,000 Cougar that already can't be hunted.

Oh they can be "Hunted" by government paid wildlife control officers.

Black bears are returning to parts of Texas, but there will never be an open season.

Yes Sir, I can really envision a states Game and Fish department introducing or re-introducing a species that sport hunters would never be allowed to hunt and management practices would be conducted by paid assassins.

Sad ending but becoming to common,

http://www.calgaryherald.com/n.../10185626/story.html

Well got my response from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. It was very thoughtful and polite, but NOT!!! lol Since I work for the government I can't get into political discussions, but maybe I can get a referendum on the ballot next year to put it to a vote ...

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
Well got my response from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. It was very thoughtful and polite, but NOT!!! lol Since I work for the government I can't get into political discussions, but maybe I can get a referendum on the ballot next year to put it to a vote ...

Hopefully the referendum dies as a joke laughed at by those much smarter than you.

Well your response surely indicates your level of intelligence. Why is ok to have grizzlies in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho but not Colorado. There's plenty of elk and deer in those states, grizzly attacks against humans are rare. Are the residents of those states just braver or are they morons too? Or would you prefer we eradicate the grizzlies in those states as well? My hope is that they would be introduced in the wilderness areas, at some point reaching a population where we could draw and hunt them, but in the meantime enjoy them as the magnificent creatures they truly are.