Dutch Joe grizzly bear relocated
by Wyoming Game and Fish Department
August 1, 2011
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department trapped and relocated a young adult male grizzly bear on July 29, 2011.
The bear was captured because it injured seven and killed one domestic sheep in the Dutch Joe drainage on a Bridger-Teton National Forest grazing allotment southeast of Pinedale.
In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shoshone National Forest, the bear was moved and released in the North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage near its confluence with Fishhawk Creek, 300 yards north of mile marker 10.5 on U.S. Highway 14-16-20, approximately 45 miles west of Cody, WY.
The release site is located within currently occupied grizzly bear habitat and grizzly bears are present throughout the area. Bears are capable of moving long distances over a short time period and a relocated bear it is not expected to remain near the release site.
Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool afforded bear management personnel to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzlies. The decision to relocate and the selection of a relocation site is made taking into consideration the age, sex, and type of conflict the bear was involved in.
Grizzly bears are listed as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, therefore consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the appropriate land management agency is also conducted to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the survival potential of the relocated grizzlies. Bears are relocated in accordance with federal law and regulation. When selecting a relocation site, the Department makes every consideration to minimize potential conflicts with livestock and people.
Bears can create conflicts after they have obtained food rewards. The Department continues to stress the importance of keeping all attractants (food items, horse feeds, bird seed and others) unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants reduces human-bear conflicts.
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