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H2Bro_69 t1_iw00reo wrote

Alright we’re going to need mandatory “how to act around bear” courses for all hikers, because grizzlies are potentially way more aggressive than black bears as far as I know. We need to make sure poor bears aren’t getting shot because of stupid people. I worry a bit about potential conflicts at popular areas such as Ross Lake.

I would like to see this work though, because it’s definitely ecologically important.

Edit: maybe not mandatory course, but just much more awareness.

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queenweasley t1_iw1h9on wrote

Poor bears already get shot by stupid people, that’s why they are all gone 😔

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CnD123 t1_iw0kzya wrote

No one can explain how it is ecologically important. How are the Cascades being negatively impacted by no grizzlies? California? There isnt a negative impact.

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insultingname t1_iw0rsia wrote

That's what anti-wolf people said about reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone. Then they put them back and saw massive improvements to the entire ecology of park. You can't see a 'negative impact' because you're operating from the assumption that no grizzlies represents 'normal.' That is a false baseline.

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[deleted] t1_iw0swm2 wrote

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insultingname t1_iw0um4j wrote

  1. Gray wolves are an apex species that occupy a top niche in the natural food chain. Like bears and cougars, they have few competitors and play a prominent role in any ecosystem they inhabit. So yes, wolves are absolutely apex predators. 2) No one is suggesting dropping a bunch of grizzlies off in the suburbs. Peddle your strawman bullshit elsewhere. 3) I lived in rural western Montana for a while, I DID have grizzlies in my neighborhood, and it was fucking awesome.
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[deleted] t1_iw0v676 wrote

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insultingname t1_iw0vojd wrote

I'm from here originally, and I'm going to take the Department of Wildlife's opinion on whether or not they are apex predators over yours. If you're too much of a coward to handle the presence of wildlife in wilderness areas then stay the fuck out of the mountains.

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[deleted] t1_iw0wne4 wrote

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insultingname t1_iw11cqy wrote

>The Department of Wildlife gets more funding as a result of this.

First of all, good. Second, does that mean they don't know the definition of an Apex predator? What's your point? You realized that you were just wrong about the definition of 'apex predator' so you decided to pivot to yet another straw man?

>No one is complaining about wolf reintroduction other than farmers.

That's not remotely true. It was largely hunters. PS - when they raise livestock instead of crops they're called ranchers not farmers, dumbass. PPS - the only major group complaining about BEAR reintroduction is (spoiler alert) The National Cattlemen's Beef Association. AKA Ranchers!

>The public does not want this to happen, and it wont. It was already struck down once.

It wasn't 'struck down' and it had nothing to do with public opinion. In mid-2017, officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior, without clear explanation, halted progress on the recovery efforts. The process kicked back into gear in 2019, but that effort was again squelched by Interior, under the Trump administration, in 2020.

>Hopefully you dont ever startle a grizzly. Because it wont go well for you.

I already have, but I carry bear spray in grizzly territory and am not an idiot, so, as is the case in the vast vast VAST majority of bear encounters, I am fine. However, it's very obvious that you have exactly zero understanding of not just this issue, but of bears in general. You're just some cretin who thinks the big bad bears are out to get you, and you're either too lazy or too stupid to educate yourself about how to be safe in bear country. I'm done with you.

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