The Return of Grizzly Hunting in the Rockies?

Written by HLRBO - Alexandra Carter| 2/15/2023

Could grizzly bear hunting soon be back on the table for hunters in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho? The Biden Administration is taking steps toward lifting federal protections for grizzly bears in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, which would open the door to hunting the species in the region.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the governors of Montana and Wyoming have provided substantial evidence and data that grizzly bear populations in the regions surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks have improved, and threats to these animals have been reduced.

As a result, the Wildlife Service will not start a year-long review of the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems to see whether the protections should be eliminated.

Public comments would be considered as part of the process if the agency determines that the protections are no longer needed.

This is part of a larger group of petitions filed to remove the grizzly bear protections in the lower 48 States from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife.

Montana's governor is one of the people who petitioned the federal government to life the protections for grizzlies in the millions of acres in and around Montana's Glacier National Park, known as the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE).

"After decades of work, the grizzly bear has more than recovered," he said.

"As part of that conservation success, the federal government has accepted our petition to delist the grizzly in the N.C.D.E., opening the door to state management of this iconic American species."

According to the Federal Wildlife Agency, 50,000 grizzly bears roamed North America in the 1800s. With the arrival of European settlers, their populations dwindled due to overhunting and trapping. In fact, by 1975, hunting and trapping of grizzly bears had become so rampant that only 

700-800 grizzly bears remained. They were soon listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. In 1993, the agency identified six ecosystems to focus on recovering the grizzly population. Current numbers show there are nearly 2,000 grizzly bears in the Lower 48.

In 2017, the grizzly population at Yellowstone National Park had recovered enough that their protections were removed. This prompted conservationists and tribes to sue, and a year later, the protections were restored in Wyoming and Idaho.

Idaho's governor announced plans to sue the Biden Administration over its delay in removing grizzly bears from the endangered species list.

An expanded range for grizzly bears in the Glacier and Yellowstone areas has resulted in fatal bear attacks and livestock depredations. A grizzly reevaluation is a complex decision, and there are many supporters and opponents. 

How do you feel about the possible removal of grizzly bear protections in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

As always, if you're looking for land to hunt on, HLRBO has got your back. Browse our nationwide hunting leases today.