Grizzly on Elk Carcass, Paradise Valley Fishing Access Closed

We have an update on that grizzly spotted near Yankee Jim Canyon south of Livingston earlier this week... (full story and photos from earlier in the week are included below)

I spoke with Morgan Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks on Tuesday night. He says the grizzly that we reported on earlier this week near the BLM's Carbella campground was spotted by an FWP bear specialist sitting on an elk carcass, so they are alerting the public to stay out of the area. They are also encouraging passers by to avoid stopping on the side of the road over additional safety concerns.

Jacobsen tells me that they have shut down the Crystal Cross fishing access "for all intents and purposes," but they are still awaiting an official closure order. He also says that the BLM is likely to close Carbella campground. The grizzly bear is described as a sub adult male with no history of capture.

PREVIOUS REPORT

***New photos added courtesy Emily Heide

One of our radio listeners tells us there was a big griz spotted low at Carbella last night. Speaking of grizzly bears, the Montana Farm Bureau says now is the time to speak up. 

First, here's the note I got from one of our radio listeners south of Livingston, Montana:

Basically there was a big grizzly bear walking low at Carbella last night. It was apparently on the Dome Mountain Ranch, not far from a Bureau of Land Management campground by Carbella Bridge, just downriver of Yankee Jim Canyon. Apparently a local helped Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks haze the bear away. The griz was spotted not far from the BLM campground. 

For those who don't know, the Dome Mountain Ranch is apparently owned by Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank.

Here's a map showing where the campground is in relation to the Livingston and Bozeman areas.

Speaking of grizzlies, there's a LOT of them here in Montana. That's why folks like the Montana Farm Bureau believe that it is long past time that we de-list the grizzlies from the Endangered Species List.

Karli Johnson lives in griz country in Choteau, Montana. She's also a governmental affairs coordination for the Montana Farm Bureau. She says Montanans need to weigh in by this Friday.

Karli Johnson: "So where we're at on grizzly bears right now is- in early January, of course, they denied those petitions to delist and they- the comment period on that is open right now until (next) Friday (May 16th), and that's something that- they've gotten over 100,000 comments already, and a lot of those are from folks just saying that they like grizzly bears and they're happy to have them protected...

I then pointed out that these are likely canned form letters from the radical environmental groups and people who live in the cities and don't have to live with the grizzlies in their backyards.

Karli Johnson: "They need to hear from folks like us, and they need to hear that we're seeing an increased number of grizzly bears. The species is recovered. We need additional meaningful management tools on the ground to be able to continue to live with this species, and then we need to just celebrate the recovery and de-list them."

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Original photo used when story was first published: