We have run a number of stories this year about bears, especially grizzly bears, getting in trouble in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Since then the berry crop failed and the whitebark pine nut crop is mostly just fair.

The number of known dead grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone this year is approaching 50 (46 as of today), which is about the average yearly total. About 80% were killed by people this year. The last two years have seen mortality totals considerably lower than 50, however. In 2013, 29 grizzly bear deaths were recorded and in 2014, just 28. For official figures and descriptions see: Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team – Mortality Database.

Today long-time grizzly bear activist Louisa Wilcox issued a news release. In it she wrote, “Applying a federal estimator to account for unknown mortalities, about 70 grizzly bears are dead [so far this year], or roughly 10% of the Yellowstone population.” In the news release she also announced her new web site giving scientific information and news about grizzlies. Her spouse, Dr. David Mattson who is a well known grizzly scientist, also contributed heavily to the new web site, The Grizzly Times. The site has a massive amount of information. Much of it is written in an easy to understand way. The site is especially important for information about the U.S. government’s plans to delist the grizzly and a rebuttal.

In the news release, Wilcox especially promoted her blog of today “License to Kill or Coexist”