Grizzly range 2026

[OriginalOscar]

With the Grizzly population growing and range expanding where do people familiar with the bears see them in 2026?

Hopefully wolves don't show up in Utah for a very long time; however I'd like to see the bears migrate back to the Uintas. Concern would be negative changes with reasonable land use; grazing, timber, access.

 

[406LIFE]

I doubt you would see them there naturally by then. The population coming from the GYE will be managed to keep the numbers in check, and probably not grow to the point that they would expand that far out. I'm not saying a rogue bear wouldn't travel, but for a sustaining population I would think there would have to be a relocation from Fish and Game. Included in all that are a host of variables such as social capital, rancher toleration, state willingness, source of bears to relocate, suitable habitat and prey, and about a million others.

As a MT hunter, I like the wolves being here and part of the ecosystem. I just wish we could manage them better. Hopefully that will happen after the training wheels are taken off.

 

[Southern Elk]

I bet you will see wolves before grizzlies.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I bet you will see wolves before grizzlies.

^This.

I don't think you'll see a hugely different distribution of griz in just 10 years. They are nowhere near as prolific as wolves - they take longer to reach maturity, they give birth to fewer offspring at longer intervals, they exist at lower densities on the landscape than wolves so don't expect to see range expansion anywhere near what wolves are capable of. I expect that in 10 years, "holes" within their range will fill in and areas with extremely low densities will probably grow to somewhat higher densities. There will probably be some outward expansion at the edges of their range (though that will depend much more on social tolerance than biology). However I doubt you will see them become established in any state in which they don't currently exist by then.

 

[1_pointer]

I bet you'd see them west of the Unita's before they'd make a real home there...

 

[TheDudeAbides]

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Wildlife-in-Wyoming/More-Wildlife/Large-Carnivore/Grizzly-Bear-Management

If you look at the map, then the Grizz would have to expand to more of the Wyoming Range, which would be problematic with the grazing situation in the range.

If they are allowed to expand than I would bet they would move into the Cache National Forest from Bear Lake before they moved to the Uinta's.

The other option would be following the Green River, which would be problematic cities, livestock, and desert.

I do not think that Bears would cross the desert from the Wind River Range to get to Uinta Range, but I may be wrong.

I think the Bighorn Range of Wyoming is a more likely expansion, but even still that is a long shot.

Wolves on the other hand will probably hit the Uinta's in ten years. They would have an easier time finding food that isn't livestock in the desert.