VIRTUAL MEETING WILL GIVE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON REDUCING CONFLICTS
The Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee's fall meeting will take place next week on October 28th and 29th. A workshop will be offered on Thursday to discuss the Tech Team's findings on three different grizzly-human conflict topics. You can choose which topic you would like to be a part of. This is your chance to speak up for grizzly bears and let the agencies know what you want them to make a priority for reducing conflicts and saving bears' lives.
October 28: the subcommittee will meet to discuss business that was previously talked about at the spring meeting as well as new topics. View a video of the spring meeting here. Members of the public can register by clicking the button below prior to the start of the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions to join. You can watch this meeting but will not be able to comment. If you do have a comment on the YES Spring 2020 meeting presentations and discussion, please submit it in writing to marinda.rogers-gardner@usda.gov by 5PM on 10/29 to be included in the notes of the meeting.
October 29: A technical team working under the guidance of YES has developed a draft document Recommendations for reducing bear-human conflicts and grizzly bear mortalities in the Yellowstone Ecosystem: a report to the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee. This report has synthesized information from agencies and the public into recommendations under five broad categories. Three of these categories lend themselves to further action by YES and other partners. These include Backcountry and Hunting Related Conflicts, Front Country Conflicts and Community Planning and Livestock Conflicts and Producer Outreach. For the workshop, the subcommittee will focus on the technical team’s highest priority for each broad category. When you register by clicking the button below, you will be asked which category discussion you would most like to participate in.
Wednesday, October 28: 2PM-5PM is the YES Fall Business meeting. The public can watch but will not be able to engage.
Thursday, October 29: 8:30AM-11:30AM is the virtual workshop to engage YES committee members, agency staff, partners and the public on the Tech Team report.
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You asked, we listened! After receiving your questions about wildlife issues in Wyoming, we are producing a series of short videos to help answer those questions and provide more information about some of the more complex topics of wildlife management. Our latest video features chronic wasting disease (CWD) and feedgrounds and debunks the myth that a mass die-off of elk will occur if feedgrounds are phased out. Learn more about why feedgrounds are a threat to the Jackson Hole elk herd and what can be done to mitigate the threat. Click the link below or the photo above to watch. Thanks to our AmeriCorps member, Jack Polk, for putting this video together.
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For too long, native voices have been silenced or ignored in wildlife management. Take this opportunity to learn from Indigenous peoples what wolves mean to them. Join the Mashkiiziibii Wildlife Program in conversation with Thomas Peacock, Fond du Lac author of The Wolf's Trail: An Ojibwe Story, Told by Wolves. Discussion will focus on the significance of Anishinaabe understanding of & relationship with Ma'iingan conservation, as well as The Seven Fires teachings. Ten paperback copies of The Wolf's Trail will be given away!
Tuesday, October 27
6:00 - 7:00 pm MST
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IT'S WOLF AWARENESS WEEK
A big part of our mission is to stop the trophy hunting of wolves in Wyoming. Much of that relies on educating the public about the on-the-ground reality that wolves face every day in this state. See the graphics below for more information on the state of wolves in Wyoming. This hunting season has so far hit wolves on the boundaries of the national parks hard. With the arrival of snow, it's likely to increase the number of wolves killed as they are easier to track. So far, at least 36 wolves have been killed in Wyoming in 2020. There are likely more that Wildlife Services has killed that we don't yet know about.
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Fall is hunting season in the Rockies and also a time when bear/human conflicts escalate. In previous years, hunters have been involved in a higher incidence of conflicts with bears because they are often behaving in ways contrary to what is safest in bear country. In a recent interview, we offered some tips to hunters on carrying bear spray and how to have a safe and enjoyable hunt.
""If you come upon a carcass, and a bear has already claimed it, and it looks like it's been partially buried, or covered, or maybe the bear is actually in the area still, that's the best opportunity to just walk away, and leave that for the bear," Combs urged. While hunting practices are not in sync with standard safety protocol in bear country - they don't make loud sounds to announce their presence, for example, or travel in large groups - Combs said there are still ways to stay safe. Be hyper-aware of your surroundings, stay clear of heavy timber cover, and areas with dense willows to avoid stumbling onto a bear's day bed."
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Sedona Wolf Week was created in 2016 with the objective of changing the way the world sees wolves, to dispel the myths, generate awareness and create advocates through multiple educational mediums as well as interaction with the Apex Protection Project Ambassador Pack.
Since then Sedona Wolf Week has evolved to include all wildlife with an emphasis on the wolf as the keystone species. This evolution is a direct result of the growing momentum currently happening across the US and around the globe where people are remembering their connection to all things wild and advocating for their protection and conservation.
With the pandemic, SWW is now going virtual which means you can attend from anywhere! Hear from wolf experts like Doug Smith, Rick McIntyre, Carter Niemeyer, Amaroq Weiss, Bob Landis, and many more! Spend time with the Apex Protection Project wolf dog pack. Films, a silent auction for amazing wolf-related items, and happy hours with the experts round out the week. We highly recommend you register today! Most events are free!
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Myth and media typically cast animals we consider predators or carnivores as unthinking killers—dangerous, unpredictable, and devoid of emotion. But is this portrait valid? By exploring their inner lives, this pioneering book refutes the many misperceptions that hide the true nature of these animals. We discover that great white sharks express tender maternal feelings, rattlesnakes make friends, orcas abide by an ancient moral code, and much more.
Using the combined lenses of natural history, neuroscience, and psychology, G. A. Bradshaw describes how predators share the rainbow of emotions that humans experience, including psychological trauma. Renowned for leading research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in elephants and other species, Bradshaw decries the irrational thinking behind wildlife policies that equate killing carnivores with “conservation.” In its place, she proposes a new, ethical approach to coexistence with the planet’s fiercest animals.
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Photos credits (in order of appearance):
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