Grizzly bear roams near Kingston

COEUR d'ALENE - A 2-year-old grizzly bear is roaming the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River drainage, and wildlife managers warn hunters and campers to be more cautious this fall.

"This bear has had no conflicts with people," said Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Phil Cooper, adding there have been several sightings near Kingston. "This is not a problem bear."

The grizzly is one of 18 grizzlies that have been trapped in the Flathead River drainage in Montana and relocated to the Cabinet Mountain grizzly augmentation project.

"Unfortunately they don't all stay there or survive long enough to reproduce," said Wayne Kasworm, who is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Recovery team.

Kasworm said in the 25 years they have been transplanting grizzlies in the Cabinet Mountains, only five have wandered off, but they usually head back to the Flathead River Drainage area.

This bear was ear tagged and fitted with a GPS collar, which stores information and transmits a VHF signal, before it was released near Whitefish, Mont., on Aug. 4.

Kasworm said the bear went missing shortly after it was released, but he finally located it in the Coeur d'Alene River Drainage about 10 days ago.

A video of the grizzly at a home near mile marker four on Coeur d'Alene River Road can be seen at cdapress.com.

"All of these bears are backcountry bears that have had no conflicts with humans," Kasworm said. "There have been a lot of sightings, but I have not heard of him charging anyone."

Kasworm said no one is sure why the bear made its way into Idaho.

"I think this is a bear that is a little bit lost," he said, explaining that forest fires could have driven him toward Idaho.

"We have had a lot of fires," said Kasworm, who is based in Libby, Mont. "When we released the bear in the west cabinets there were a lot of fires. Whether the fires caused him to go that way, we don't know," he said. "I am kind of reviewing that now."

Kasworm said IDFG is working with his agency to try and trap the bear, but that could prove difficult because the bear keeps moving in search of food.

"He needs to localize, but he has been moving around a lot," he said. "If he keeps moving, it will be more difficult to catch him."

The grizzly has also been trapped before and that might make it more of a challenge as well.

Cooper said hunters and others should beware and take precautions while roaming in the woods around the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River.

"I would guess this young male is venturing out on his own to avoid other male grizzlies," Cooper said. "He is ranging more than normal because of the lack of huckleberries this year."

Normally grizzlies and black bears would be higher in the mountains, but the lack of berries is forcing them down into the valleys in search of food.

"We do have bear hunting seasons opening up," Cooper said, adding that is a concern. "People need to be sure of their targets when they shoot a bear."

Bear baiters need to be extra cautious with the grizzly around.

"And if you come across a half-buried carcass be very, very cautious," Cooper said. "Both bears and cougars will do that."

Cooper said there is an online bear identification program on the IDFG Panhandle Area website under the education tab. He said it can help hunters and others learn how to distinguish between grizzly and black bears.

"You also need to keep clean camps," Cooper said, adding so far the grizzly doesn't associate humans with food. "But he could become a problem bear."

Cooper said campers need to keep their coolers in their cars and trucks to help contain the scent, and successful hunters need to make sure they get their harvested game out of the woods as quickly as possible to avoid encounters with bears.

"If you have to go back in to recover a harvested animal make a lot of noise," he said, explaining that bears and even cougars will sit 20 to 50 yards away from a carcass to protect it as a food source. "So talk loud and bang sticks against trees or wear a bell if possible and ring it every so often."

Cooper said human safety is the IDFG's first priority, but making sure the bears don't become habituated to humans is also important. Habituated bears often have to be euthanized.

Kasworm said residents in the Coeur d'Alene River area should also take precautions with their garbage cans, bird feeders and pet food that are kept outside.

"Bear will seek that stuff out and they are ranging far and wide," he said.

Kasworm said the bear was located about 8 miles northeast of Kellogg on Thursday near the Cougar Creek drainage. Another flyover will be performed on Monday to determine its location.