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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

r r r r r Coverr [click to enlarge]r

r
• Cover [image]
r
• Introduction
r
• The California Grizzly
r
• Sierra Nevada Black Bear (Ursus americanus californiensus J. Miller)
r
• The Present Bear Policy and Its Problems
r
• Selected References
r

About the Author

r r r r Ed Beatty, 1933r r r [click to enlarge]r

r Matthew Edward "Ed" Beatty was born August 30, 1901.r He was Associate Park Naturalist in Yosemite from 1932 to 1944.r In 1944 he transferred to Glacier National Park in Montana,r where he was Chief Naturalist to 1955.r He was Regional Chief of Interpretation in 1961.r Ed Beatty wrote several articles and booklets forr Yosemite Nature Notes, while he was in Yosemite,r including this one.r Other subjects he wrote about includer birds, bears, firefall, and photographer C. E. Watkins.r M. E. Beatty died October 22, 1989 at Polson, Montanar (which is on the shore of Flathead Lake, south of Glacier National Park).r

Bibliographical Information

r M. E. Beatty (Matthew Edward) (1901-1989),r Bears of Yosemiter (Yosemite: Yosemite Natural History Association, 1943).r 17 pages. Illustrated. 23 cm.r Saddle stitched tan paper cover.r Originally published asr Yosemite Nature Notes 22(1):1-17 (January 1943).r

r Digitized by Dan Anderson, April 2007,r from a copy provided by Scott Tipton.r These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose,r provided this notice is left intact.r
r     —Dan Anderson, www.yosemite.ca.usr

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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

Yosemite Nature Notes

r THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OFr
r THE YOSEMITE NATURALIST DEPARTMENTr
r AND THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATIONr

r Bears of Yosemiter

r r By M. E. Beattyr r

r Of all the wild animals in our national parks, the bear undoubtedlyr ranks first in public interest. There is something so human in the animalr that its droll antics are doubly appealing to man. Even its apparent lazinessr is amusing, and the playfulness of bear cubs is a never-ending source ofr delight.r

r Two types of bears are found within the borders of the United Statesr proper: viz., ther grizzlyr and ther black bear.r The grizzly is now quite restricted in range, and may best be seen in Yellowstone National Park andr sparingly in Glacier National Park. The California Grizzly is now believedr to be extinct, but as they were once fairly common in the Yosemite region,r no account of the bears of Yosemite would be complete without some mention of them.r

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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

THE CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY

r Unfortunately, the grizzly bearr disappeared from the Californiar scene before zoologists had a fairr chance to study its movements,r habits, and traits while it was actually alive. Only a few completer specimens are preserved in our museums, so complete information isr lacking. Evidence indicates, however, that some seven different kindsr (subspecies) of grizzlies once existed in California, one of which atr r least, was native to the Yosemiter area.r

r The name “Yosemite” was derivedr from. the Miwok Indian word meaning full-grown grizzly bear, although.r the Indians knew Yosemite Valleyr as Ahwahnee (deep-grassy place).r r [Editor’s note:r For the correct meaning and origin of the wordsr Yosemite (“they are killers”)r andr Ahwahnee (“(gaping) bear’s mouth”)r seer r “Origin of the Word Yosemite.”—DEA.]r r It is interesting to note that ther Indians of Yosemite were divided intor r two moieties or divisions: the landr side and the water side. The coyoter was the diety heading the waterr r r r side, while the grizzly headed ther land side. Some authorities believer that the name of the grizzly bearr group (Yosemites) later came to ber applied to all of the Indians livingr in Ahwahnee rather than to justr those of the grizzly bear group.r

r Numerous written accounts of encounters with grizzlies in the Yosemiter region are on record, one of ther earliest being that of James Capen Adams,r better known as “Grizzly Adams,”r who captured and trainedr grizzly bear cubs for his travellingr animal show. Adams visited Yosemiter in the spring of 1854, and accordingr to his diary, discovered a grizzlyr bear on the “headwaters of the Merced River.”r After killing the mother,r he found two very young male cubsr in the den, one of which grew up tor be the famous “Ben Franklin” ofr r Adams’ animal show. Other grizzliesr were captured alive by Adamsr along the Merced River below Yosemite,r and sold at good pricesr (“Adventures of James Capenr Adams,” pp. 191-197).r

r The last grizzly known to haver been killed in Yosemite was shotr “about 1895” at Crescent Lake, eastr of Wawona, and the skin of this bearr is now in the Museum of Vertebrater Zoology of the University of Californiar (“Animal Life in the Yosemite,”r p. 70). The last authentic record ofr the killing of a grizzly bear for ther State of California was in Augustr 1922, at Horse Corral Meadows, Tulare Countyr (“Fur-bearing Mammalsr of California,” pp. 93-94).r

r The grizzly differs from the blackr bear both in structure and habits. Inr general, grizzly bears are largerr r r

r r r Indiscriminate Hunting Exterminated the Grizzly in Californiar

r The external outlines of the maturer grizzly differ from the adult blackr bear in being higher in the shoulder region, giving the appearancer of a hump behind the neck. Ther most reliable field distinguishing feature of the grizzly, however, is ther length of the front claws, those ofr r the grizzly averaging 3 or morer inches as compared with 2 inchesr for a large black bear. In additionr to being nearly 50 per cent longer,r the claws of the grizzly are lessr curved making it difficult for ther adult animal to climb trees.r

r California is well-known as ther Grizzly Bear State, and the emblemr of the grizzly is emblazoned on bothr the State flag and State seal. It isr unfortunate that they can no longerr be looked on as a part of our livingr wildlife, and must be rememberedr as among those many species ofr wild animals in California for whichr conservation came too late.r

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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

SIERRA NEVADA BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus californiensus J. Miller)

r The bears now found in Yosemiter National Park are a subspecies ofr the American Black Bear, whichr ranges in forested areas from ther Atlantic to the Pacific, and fromr northern Canada southward intor Sonora, Mexico.r

Color

r The black bear has several colorr phases, ranging from coal black tor light brown or cinnamon. This hasr led to the erroneous belief that ther various color phases represent different species. Black phase femalesr often produce brown cubs, or oner black and one brown cub, andr brown colored females do likewise.r In Yosemite, the brown color phaser seemingly predominates, as borner out by an accurate check of the bearr r population in the vicinity of Glacierr Point during the summer of 1939.r r r

r r

r A similar count made by Josephr Dixon, Field Naturalist, Fish andr Wildlife Service, in Yosemite Valleyr on October 30, 1929, at the old feeding pits, showed that out of a totalr of twenty-one, 17 were brown andr only 4 black (Fur-bearing Mammalsr of California, p. 103).r

Range and Number

r The black bear normally rangesr in the Transition and Canadian lifer zones in Yosemite, which includesr elevations from 3,000 to 8,000 feet.r Occasional records as low at 2,000r feet and as high as 9,000 feet haver been made within the park, butr these are probably extremes.r

r The density of the bear populationr in the park varies widely from placer to place. Total estimates for the entire 1,189 square miles embracingr Yosemite National Park vary between 300 and 400 bears. These figuresr have been determined by anr annual wildlife census taken by patrollingr rangers throughout the park.r

r During the past ten years ther heaviest bear concentration hasr been in Yosemite Valley. This wasr mainly the result of “bear show”r feeding, which was discontinued inr 1940. Before that year, it was not unusual for 40 or more bears to put inr appearance at the feeding area tor enjoy their garbage “banquet.” Itr would be safe to say that betweenr 1930-1940, as many as 60 bearsr summered in Yosemite Valley, wherer under primitive conditions, the arear would hardly be large enough tor r support over three or four individuals.r

Size and Life Span

r Little is known about the lengthr of life of black bears in the wild,r due to the habit of sick or injuredr bears crawling away to some secluded spot where their carcassesr are seldom found by humans. Inr captivity, bears often live 25 yearsr or more, but in the wild they wouldr probably average much less-possiblyr between 15 and 20 years. Accordingr to old time rangers, individualr bears in Yosemite are known tor have appeared for 15 successiver years, so the ages mentioned arer not far amiss.r

r A bear is considered mature atr the age of 3 or 4 years, when mostr females have their first young. Fullr growth is not attained, however, untilr the sixth or seventh year, whenr they gain their greatest weight. Accordingr to Dixon “an average adultr black bear in good flesh will, wer have concluded, weigh between 200r and 300 pounds. Large-sized maler bears may weigh as much as 500r pounds when fat (Fur-bearingr Mammals of California, p. 101).r

r The writer has had several opportunitiesr since the publication of ther above book to assist in weighingr trapped “garbage fed” bears in Yosemiter that greatly exceeded the 500r pound maximum recorded by Dixon. The trapping alive of park bearsr is sometimes resorted to in the public campgrounds and other areasr where bears are prone to raid foodr supplies. This is accomplished in ar r r r humane manner through the use ofr a large, galvanized iron cylinderr mounted on trailer wheels. The cylinder is equipped with a trap doorr on one end, and the bear is enticedr into the trap by a meat bait. Touching the bait causes the trap door tor drop and the bear becomes a prisoner.r The trailer can then be coupledr to a government car, and transportedr to a more remote spot wherer the bear is released.r

r r

r On September 28, 1938, a larger male bear (brown color phase) wasr captured in the above manner. Duer to his large size, it was consideredr worthwhile to secure an accurater record of his weight before release.r The trailer containing the bear wasr backed onto the government platform scales by Wildlife Ranger Ottor Brown. The results were so astounding that the writer was called in tor verify the findings. After properlyr balancing the scales, the combinedr weight of the trailer and bear wasr 1,670 pounds. After releasing ther r bear, the empty trailer aloner weighed 990 pounds. The bear wasr thus found to weigh 680 poundsr which, according to all availabler data, is a record for the Californiar Black Bear and subspecies. This unusualr weight record can be attributedr in part to the artificial feedingr of bears carried on between 1930r and 1940, and is undoubtedly morer than could be expected for bearsr eating natural food only (Yosemiter Nature Notes, November 1938).r

Hibernation

r The expression “as hungry as ar bear” is particularly true in later summer and fall when bears eat,r not only to take care of their immediate daily needs, but to build upr heavy layers of fat necessary to carryr them through their winter “sleep.”r With the coming of the first heavyr storm of winter (usually in December or early January) most bears gor into hibernation. The den is usuallyr a warm and sheltered cave amongr the rocks, or a hollow tree, fairlyr high on the talus slopes surrounding Yosemite Valley or above ther rim. Here they remain until later March or early April, depending onr the severity of the winter. They hibernate singly except where cubsr may occupy the den with the motherr the winter following their birth.r

r As a rule, bears partake of nor food or water during the hibernationr period, depending on the breakingr down of the fatty tissues built upr during the previous fall to sustainr life; however, they have occasionallyr been observed outside theirr r r r dens during mild winters. From ar study of the tracks of such individuals, it appeared that they were outr simply for exercise between storms.r By following their tracks it was possible to locate a number of bearr dens which otherwise would neverr have been found without the use ofr dogs.r

r During January 1932, bear tracksr were reported by local skiers on ther slopes of Mt. Watkins at elevationsr between 7000 and 8000 feet. Onr March 3, former Park Naturalist Bertr Harwell and Park Photographerr Ralph Anderson succeeded in locating one of the dens, and obtainedr proof that it was occupied by a hibernatingr bear.r

r r r Bear Den on Mt. Watkinsr

r The den was located in a livingr White Fir, 5 ft. in diameter, and wasr reached through a vertical hole inr the 4 feet deep snow, at the bottomr r of which was a horizontal tunnelr about 18 inches in diameter whichr ran into the opening at the treer base. After setting up both still andr r r

r r r Close-up of Denr

r Picture taking was forgotten andr all haste was made to get Ralph tor the hospital for proper treatment.r The scar on Ralph’s hand even afterr ten years gives positive evidencer that the den was truly occupied byr a hibernating bear. It is also anotherr indication that bears at this latituder r r r do not enter a state of coma but onr the contrary may sleep rather lightlyr (Yosemite Nature Notes, April 1933).r

r It has been generally supposedr that the habit of hibernation inr black bears was to enable them tor escape the cold weather of the winterr months. Observations in Yosemiter would indicate, however, thatr the availability of food during thisr period is the chief controlling factor.r This was well illustrated during ther winter of 1936-1937, when at least ar half dozen bears were observed onr the valley floor all winter. Theyr were seen most often around the incinerator where scraps of food couldr be had. The first snow storm of ther season on the valley floor occurredr December 26. That month 53 inchesr of snow fell; January added 78 1/2r r inches; February 9 1/2 inches, andr March 10 1/2 inches, making a totalr of 151 1/2 inches of snow for the floorr of the valley. This was an unusuallyr heavy precipitation. Coupled withr this, temperatures reached to ther lowest level ever recorded for ther valley.r

r On February 18, 1937, Bert Harwell, then park naturalist, and Ir found a fresh set of tracks leadingr up Indian Canyon which we followed in hopes of finding a den. Wer soon found many other tracks andr evidence of bear activity recordedr on both snow and trees. Some 400r feet above the valley our set ofr tracks disappeared into a holer among the rocks, and freshly cutr twigs of mistletoe were everywherer abundant.r

r Being the junior member of ther r r

r r r Bear Photographed in Den—Indian Canyonr

Cubs

r Although breeding data for ther black bears in Yosemite are few, itr is believed that late June is the timer when most of them mate. With ar gestation period of approximatelyr 71/2 months, this means that cubsr are, for the most part, born aroundr the latter part of January, or earlyr February, while the mother is inr hibernation.r

r Cubs are generally born in pairs,r although triplets or even solitaryr r r

r r r The Glacier Point Quadrupletsr

r Cubs at birth are extremely tiny,r probably weighing less than ar pound each. Their growth and development are at first unusuallyr slow. In one case where a cub wasr born to a mother in captivity, it wasr 39 days before the cub opened itsr eyes (Fur-bearing Mammals of California, p. 125). The nursing periodr lasts for about six months, but ther cubs will travel with the mother theirr first year, usually hibernating ther next winter in the same den withr the mother, or in a den nearby.r

r In Yosemite, new born cubs seldom emerge from the den withr their mothers until late April, andr are rarely observed on the valleyr floor before May or June. At thisr time they are about 14 inches long,r stand a foot high, and weigh in ther neighborhood of 10 or 12 pounds.r They soon learn to supplement theirr milk diet with other food, and put onr weight rapidly. On November 20,r 1935, we had an opportunity tor weigh a pair of cubs who were approximately 10 months old, andr found the female to weigh 80r pounds and the male 120 pounds.r No explanation accounting for ther difference in weight can be advancedr r except the difference in sexr (Yosemite Nature Notes, April 1936).r

r r r Cub at Six Monthsr

r The mother bear is usually quiter solicitous about the well being ofr her cubs, fondling and playing withr them, and protecting them when inr danger. They very soon learn tor scramble up the nearest tree at ther first warning sound from the mother.r A mother has been observed spankingr and soundly cuffing her cubs becauser they did not go up a treer quickly enough after she had givenr them a warning of danger.r

r In spite of maternal care, however, as the cubs grow in size theyr usually dwindle in number. Sickness and accidents take their toll,r although the death rate is surprisingly low considering the number ofr rapidly moving automobiles theyr have to dodge. The male bear wouldr try to kill or injure any cub thatr comes within his reach, includingr r r r his own offspring. One cub wasr sideswiped by a male’s paw as itr was belatedly trying to scrambler up a tree trunk to safety, and suffered an injured hip as a result. Itr was possibly this same cub thatr later furnished an interesting incidentr for a group of people assembled around a mother bear and herr three cubs on July 4, 1933, in ther lower end of Yosemite Valley.r

r The mother bear did not seem tor mind the attention of the crowdr other than to show her disapprovalr by growling and smacking her lipsr when various individuals came toor close in order to get pictures. Sher finally got the cubs away from ther crowd by wading out into the Merced River where she sat down withr the water up to her neck, and proceeded to give the cubs a bath.r When this was over, they returnedr to the bank to be further annoyedr by the interested spectators. At lastr in disgust, she went down to ther river again, and swam to the otherr side. The little lame cub she carriedr on her back. It appeared, as sher swam away, that the cub was hanging on the hair at the back of herr neck. The other two cubs swamr without difficulty, one on each sider of the mother, keeping close to herr until the far bank was reached. Uponr landing, they all shook themselvesr like dogs, and shuffled upr the steep bank, disappearing amongr the trees beyondr (Yosemite Nature Notes, September 1933).r

r The adult female normally producesr a litter only every other year.r r Cubs hibernating with the motherr the winter after their birth will generallyr be turned loose to shift forr themselves during their second summerr when the mother again prepares to mate.r

Food

r Although classed as carnivoresr (flesh eaters), vegetable matterr forms a large portion of the diet ofr bears. They have been observed tor eat “almost everything” containingr any sort of nutriment, and are stillr nearly always hungry.r

r After first emerging from hibernation,r adult bears eat sparingly,r seemingly preferring grass and otherr herbage for a two or three weeks’r period. This is believed to tone upr the system and to get the digestiver organs back to normal functioningr after their lack of use duringr hibernation.r

r r r Copyright © 2007 Dan Anderson r r r r “Billy” the black bear sets a recordr r by eating 72 pancakesr r r (dramatization; photo not in original book)r r r

r As the season progresses, their appetites increase, and they haver been observed feeding on a wider variety of material, In Yosemite,r these include ants and other insects,r honey and young from wild bee’sr and yellow jackets’ nests, manzanitar and coffee berries, apples (fromr the orchards planted by the earlyr settlers), pine nuts, acorns, clover,r grass, roots, fish, rodents, carrion,r and around human habitations,r camp refuse and garbage. In additionr to the above, they show a decidedr liking for most types of foodr used by humans, as is attested byr their raids on campers’ food supplies.r In an effort to determine ther capacity of a bear for human foodr r r r the cooks at the government mess inr July, 1929, served a special breakfastr for Billy, a big amiable blackr bear, who was the camp pet. Hotr cakes swimming in syrup came in ar steady stream from the kitchenr stove to the back door where Billyr was waiting. After the food supplies,r the cooks, and even the bear werer exhausted, a final check showedr that Billy had consumed seventy-twor flapjacks. At the finish he was seatedr on the ground, groaning andr fairly gasping for breath, probablyr indicating a feeling of both pleasure and painr (r Yosemite Nature Notes, October 1929).r This interestingr eating exhibition shows the remarkabler ability of the black bearr to adapt himself to the presence ofr man.r

r At times this tendency to utilizer man’s food involves the bear inr amazing predicaments. For example, in April 1942, a yearling cub inr the endeavor to reach a few dropsr of milk, thrust its head into the narrow bottle-neck top of a 5-gallonr milk can, and was then unable tor remove it. The cub ran aroundr blindly, bumping trees and rocks,r presenting a ludicrous picture tor onlookers, who hastily gathered.r Several attempts were made to extricater the bear’s head from the canr by means of ropes and tackle but tor no avail. Finally it was necessary tor rope down each leg and to cutr open the top of the milk can byr means of a cold chisel. The bear,r after finally being released, hastilyr disappeared up the talus slope withr r a sore head and neck, but with ar well learned lesson of what not tor do (Yosemite Nature Notes, Juner 1942).r

r r r Got a Can Opener?r

r The black bear has often been accused of being a stock killer butr such cases are extremely rare, andr the exception rather than the rule.r Jay Bruce, the State lion hunter,r says, “In every instance that I haver personally investigated where bearr has been accused of killing stock, ir have found the slayer to be a lion,r except in a few cases where coyotesr were responsible. In fact, I haver never known a bear to actually killr any large animal, either wild or domestic.”r

r Mr. Bruce further states, “I do notr r r r believe that he (the black bear) canr be considered a menace to stock orr game, but that he has been wronglyr accused on general appearancesr for the damage done by mountainr lions and coyotes, and that the complaints are largely made by peopler who had no reliable method of investigating the circumstances, orr had neglected to do so, assumingr that bear signs around the carcassr of stock were conclusive evidencer that the bears were responsible forr the loss of stock.” (Fur-bearingr Mammals of California, p. 133.)r

r r r

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r However, this represents a smallr minority of the total fawn population as less than ten such casesr have been recorded in Yosemite Nature Notes during its twenty yearsr of publication.r

Habits and Mannerisms

r Although essentially nocturnal byr nature, some of the bears in Yosemite are active throughout the day.r As one visitor expressed. it, “Withr the arrival of the summer visitors,r your bears apparently go on a 24-hour shift.”r

r During the warmer parts of ther day, the majority of bears will bedr down in a litter of pine needles inr some secluded spot from which theyr can quietly slip away if disturbed.r Other beds are simply scratched outr hollows less than a foot deep.r r r r

r r

r Some writers have referred to ther black bear as the “playboy of ther woods,” and anyone watching theirr actions over a period of time willr have ample opportunity to understand why. They love to wrestle andr play, and even their wanderings inr search for food will result in amazingr situations.r

r Bears habitually follow a givenr route, stepping each time in ther footsteps previously made. Severalr such trails have been found in Yosemite where they have stepped inr the same tracks as their predecessors,r until a series of alternating depressionsr have developed nearly 6r inches in depth. One of these trailsr may be found in the wooded arear between Camp Curry and Happyr Isles.r

r Other signs left by bears besider footprints, consist of bear wallows,r rotten logs and stumps ripped apartr by bears in their search for insects,r turned-over rocks, feces, and bearr r trees.r

r These bear trees are of particularr interest to the park visitors, particularly,r when the trees happen to ber Quaking Aspen, for they permanentlyr record the marks left by the bears.r Incense Cedars, Ponderosa Pines andr occasionally Lodgepole Pines arer also used as “bear sign posts.” Arrivingr at such a tree, the bear usually stops and, standing erect on itsr hind legs, reaches up as high asr possible, biting and scratching ther tree. The reason for this action isr not definitely known, although manyr writers have suggested that it mayr be some type of “social register.”r

r The black bear, being the largestr mammal in the park, has practicallyr no natural enemies. The largest bearr is generally the boss of his domainr until a still larger one comes alongr to replace him. Females with cubsr will sometimes stand against ar larger bear, but as a rule the smaller bearr gives ground without engagingr in any serious battle. Probablyr of all the mammals, the bearr has the greatest respect for ther skunk. On many occasions, our naturalistsr have observed skunks repeatedlyr refuse to be outbluffed byr a bear (see Yosemite Nature Notes).r Generally, the bear gives away afterr a few half-hearted attempts tor frighten away the skunk, and allowsr the skunk to take over the remainsr of its unfinished meal. Very rarelyr the bear goes so far in its bluffingr as to learn first hand what a formidabler weapon the skunk possesses.r It would be interesting to knowr r r r whether the obvious caution exercisedr by bears toward skunks is inr spired by actual experience of ther r skunk’s scent, or by some innerr sense of caution acquired from ther mother in early cubhood.r

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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

r r r

THE PRESENT BEAR POLICY AND ITS PROBLEMS

r Some twenty years ago visitorsr to Yosemite Valley consideredr themselves fortunate to get even ar fleeting glimpse of a bear, and theyr would commonly arouse all theirr neighbors so that they too might enjoyr the experience.r

r With the gradual increase in human visitors came a correspondingr increase in the number of bears attracted by the campers’ foodstuffsr and by enlarged garbage pits. Soonr bears started raiding camps forr food, and after many visitor complaints,r r the National Park Servicer began a bear feeding program, ther food consisting mainly of garbager scraps. The feeding area was located as far down valley as possibler in order to protect the campers andr lodge guests in the upper end of ther valley. The result was that bearsr would remain throughout the day inr the vicinity of the feeding pitsr which, due to the geography of ther valley area, could not be locatedr any great distance away from ther main highways. The bears soonr r r

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r To the visitor, the situation seemedr ideal. Here was a chance to seer bears and to feed them. Few appreciatedr that these bears were actuallyr wild animals, with the abilityr to inflict serious damage to thoser coming too close to them. Consequently,r accidents became more frequentr until finally more than sixtyr hospital cases were recorded duringr one season. The late Will Rogersr after a visit to Yosemite remarked,r “They warn you not to feed ther bears, but they have a hospital forr those that do.”r

r The Service, in an attempt to reducer the number of accidents andr to restore normal conditions thenr issued a new regulation prohibitingr the visitor from feeding, teasing, orr molesting the bears. Even thisr failed entirely to solve the problem.r

r From the biological standpoint,r nature was badly out of balance.r The bears were no longer accustomed to shifting for themselves. Ther valley area was far too small tor supply sufficient natural food forr such a large bear population, andr so the animals continued to raidr camps and garbage cans and tor hold up cars. Accidents from bearr injuries were still too high.r

r The policy under which our parksr operate in respect to wildlife is tor keep conditions as nearly natural asr possible. The artificial feedings ofr bears was therefore not the solutionr to the problem.r

r “Bear show” feeding in Yosemiter Valley was discontinued in September 1940, and some of the excessr bear population was removed in orderr to effect more natural conditions.r A total of 45 bears werer trapped during the fall, and movedr to outlying areas above the valleyr rim. This still left too many bearsr for an area that would hardly supply normal food for more than threer or four individuals. So in 1941 andr 1942, additional bears were removed;r particularly, those individualsr that insisted on begging foodr along highways or were confirmedr raiders of camps.r

r Results in general have provenr most encouraging, and accidentsr from bears have dropped to only ar few cases a season. Many of ther bears now seek natural food, and ar more nearly natural balance hasr been established. It is hoped thatr through a close adherence to thisr policy, the bear situation will continuer to show a steady improvement.r

Where To See Bears

r With the removal of the surplusr bear population from the valley,r visitors commonly ask, “Where arer the bears? And where can we go tor see them?” This is a most difficultr question to answer as bears seldomr remain at one fixed spot for anyr great length of time.r

r They are often encountered unexpectedlyr along the roads and trails,r in the old apple orchards, or in ther campgrounds. Bears on trails faithfullyr follow every zig and zag, andr the hiker had best step off the trail,r r r r and give up the right-of-way unlessr he wishes to outbluff the bear.r Campers usually have no difficultyr seeing bears, particularly, if theyr have such odorous foods as ham orr bacon in their larders. Bears show ar decided preference for salty andr greasy foods, and for any kind ofr sweets, which their keen sense ofr smell enables them to easily locate.r Foodstuffs should, therefore, be protectedr by caching in a box or sackr and suspending with a rope betweenr two trees, or from a horizontalr limb. Caution should be observedr to make sure the food supplyr is high enough above ther ground so that a bear will be unabler to reach it, and far enoughr away from the tree trunk that ther bear can’t reach it by climbing. Itr is certainly not advisable to placer your slab of bacon under the mattressr of a cot, as one lady visitor isr reported to have done. Needless tor say, she was rudely rolled off herr cot by a bear during the middle ofr the night, and suffered both a lossr r of dignity and a slab of bacon.r Bears may break into cars inr search of food they can smell.r

r Raiding bears can usually ber frightened away by loud noises andr flashlight beams. They will not intentionallyr attack a human unlessr both happen to be on opposite endsr of a slab of bacon. It should be rememberedr that a bear can both outrunr and outclimb a human, and thatr loss of food is preferable to seriousr injuries that might be sustainedr through too close proximity.r

r With the discontinuance of “bearr shows” and the removal of a larger number of bears from the valleyr floor, visitors will undoubtedly haver more difficulty in seeing bears. Atr times, it is possible for the rangersr and naturalists to advise visitors asr to location where bears have beenr recently observed. It is believedr that the visitor will get a far greaterr thrill out of seeing a bear in naturalr surroundings than in seeing dozensr of bears feeding on garbage underr artificial surroundings.r

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• r r [Current NPS bear management practices and visitor recommendations]r
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Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

SELECTED REFERENCES

r r 1—The Grizzly Bear of California, E. Raymond Hall, California Fish & Game,r July 1939.r r

r r 2—Fur-bearing Mammals of California, Joseph Grinnell, Joseph S. Dixonr and Jean M. Linsdale, University of California Press, 1937.r r

r r 3—Lives of Game Animals, Ernest Thompson Seton, Doubleday Doran &r Company, 1929.r r

r r r 4—Animal Life in The Yosemite, Joseph Grinnell and Tracy Irwin Storer,r University of California Press, 1924.r r r

r r 5—Adventures of James Capen Adams, Chas. Scribner’s Sons, 1926.r r

r r 6—The Black Bear, William H. Wright, Chas. Scribner’s Sons, 1910.r r

r r r 7—Yosemite Nature Notes, 1922 to 1942.r r

Credit for Photographs

r CROWN PRINTING & ENGRAVING CO.r r r 5r

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r http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/bears/references.htmlr

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r r Next: Introductionr r

Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty

r r r r r Coverr [click to enlarge]r

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• Cover [image]
r
• Introduction
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• The California Grizzly
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• Sierra Nevada Black Bear (Ursus americanus californiensus J. Miller)
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• The Present Bear Policy and Its Problems
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• Selected References
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About the Author

r r r r Ed Beatty, 1933r r r [click to enlarge]r

r Matthew Edward "Ed" Beatty was born August 30, 1901.r He was Associate Park Naturalist in Yosemite from 1932 to 1944.r In 1944 he transferred to Glacier National Park in Montana,r where he was Chief Naturalist to 1955.r He was Regional Chief of Interpretation in 1961.r Ed Beatty wrote several articles and booklets forr Yosemite Nature Notes, while he was in Yosemite,r including this one.r Other subjects he wrote about includer birds, bears, firefall, and photographer C. E. Watkins.r M. E. Beatty died October 22, 1989 at Polson, Montanar (which is on the shore of Flathead Lake, south of Glacier National Park).r

Bibliographical Information

r M. E. Beatty (Matthew Edward) (1901-1989),r Bears of Yosemiter (Yosemite: Yosemite Natural History Association, 1943).r 17 pages. Illustrated. 23 cm.r Saddle stitched tan paper cover.r Originally published asr Yosemite Nature Notes 22(1):1-17 (January 1943).r

r Digitized by Dan Anderson, April 2007,r from a copy provided by Scott Tipton.r These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose,r provided this notice is left intact.r
r     —Dan Anderson, www.yosemite.ca.usr

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