some cubs leave hair samples behind, and some bears less than 1 year old may be able to go 

 under the barbed wire without leaving hair. The age of a bear is not revealed by DNA analyses. 

 The Alaska capture-mark-resight technique avoids most of these problems, but is useful only in 

 areas where bears may be readily seen and may be difficult to apply in habitats with a forest 

 overstory. 



Management/research trapping and radio collaring provide necessary data on grizzly distribution, 

 movements, and home ranges. Data collected will include estimation of seasonal, annual, and 

 lifetime home ranges, identification of important seasonal habitats and foods, potential travel or 

 linkage corridors, extent of occupation, and denning sites. Distribution of bears will be 

 determmed by using any or all of the following methods: hair corrals, observation flights, 

 telemetry flights, nuisance activities, and verified sightings. 



Survivorship data will also be obtained, if funding is available, via aerial and ground telemetry of 

 radio-collared bears. These data are used to determine average life expectancy by sex and age 

 class, causes of mortality, etc., for bears that inhabit different portions of the ecosystem. All 

 suspected human-caused mortality will be investigated by FWP personnel to determine cause of 

 death. These mortalities will be recorded and the information used, along with other mortality 

 data, in the management of the population. This survivorship information will be fundamental to 

 addressing the issue of the potential differences in survivorship of grizzly bears in the PC A, 

 where there are extensive habitat protections, versus bears that live on multiple use areas outside 

 the PCA. In addition, we recognize that no one factor can provide the needed information to 

 assess population size and trend. Ultimately any assessments will result in some level of 

 estimation and extrapolation for management purposes. This is the same approach FWP has 

 used successfully for many other species of wildlife. To assure that our assessments of 

 population size and trend are adequate, we will review the following in making our judgements. 



1. Federal laws and regulations may have major influence on the bear population. For 

 example, changes are currently being developed in travel plans/forest plans that will 

 affect bear conservation. 



2. A systematic method to survey public and professional sectors and their perceptions of 

 population trends may be developed. 



3. Public opinions and percepfions fi-om annual tentative season meetings will be solicited 

 and evaluated. 



4. Results of population and habitat research will be consulted. Specific changes in age 

 structure, unreported mortality fi-om marked bears, population densities, habitat use, and 

 habitat quality will be considered. 



5. Major changes in human use of management areas will be evaluated. Because Montana's 

 grizzly bears are linked to those in Wyoming and Idaho, land use changes in those states 

 will be monitored as well. 



6. Changes in the population status in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National 

 Park will be gathered through discussions with the appropriate management agency. 



7. Changes in state and federal road closure policies will be evaluated because they 

 influence the number of grizzly bears susceptible to mortality. 



8. The realized or perceived changes in the price of grizzly bear parts will be evaluated. 

 Such changes may affect the level of profiteering. 



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