State disappointed with Grizzly ruling CHEYENNE, WY (wpr) - A spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says they believe grizzlies have recovered and their population is robust...despite a recent federal ruling that grizzlies be returned to protected status under the Endangered Species List. Eric Keszler says there are about 575 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area, and the population has grown about four percent each year. He says hunting grizzlies will actually be necessary down the road.
"Hunting needs to be part of the ultimate management strategy for grizzly bears. I mean there's problems now with conflicts between bears and livestock and bears with people, I think we can use hunting as a tool to help avoid those conflicts in the first place."
Keszler says he disagrees with part of a federal judge's ruling earlier this week putting grizzlies back under protection. It said the decline of white bark pine trees could limit the bears' food supply. Keszler says grizzlies are omnivorous and they can make up for the decline of whitebark pine nuts.
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