The primary objective of the work was to 

 gain a reasonably accurate census of the grizzly 

 bear inhabiting these important units. All possible 

 information was also required pertaining to feed- 

 ing habits, annual increase, reaction to closed 

 areas, and property damage. 



The impracticability of obtaining a 100 per 

 cent visual census of this species is of course 

 apparent. A system worked out by the Alaskan 

 Game Commission was therefore adopted. This 

 called for the use of tracks to supplement the 

 number of bear actually seen. In order that du- 

 plications might be avoided, this method required 

 the measurement of all tracks used. The length 

 (from the end of the toes, not including the claw, 

 to the end of the heel) and the width (across the 

 toes) was recorded. It was found in Alaska, and 

 verified here, that there was sufficient variation 

 in these two measurements for the various tracks 

 used to distinguish one from another in case of 

 doubt. The fact that bear follow trails a great 

 deal in the mountains and also frequent muddy 

 places along the margin of lakes and streams 

 made the task of finding tracks less difficult than 

 it was thought it might be. 



Much worthwhile information concerning 

 feeding habits was obtained by observing the 

 bear, finding such evidence as overturned rocks, 

 torn logs, and also dug up areas where roots 

 and bulbs had been obtained. In addition, a field 

 analysis was made of all fecal material found. 

 Findings: 



Census Figures 

 Area No. Bear 



Sun River-Teton (East of Cont. Divide) 54 



Flathead-South Fork, Middle Fork 58 



North Fork of Flathead 23 



Whitefish Range Unit (Graves Creek Area)... 18 

 Absaroka Primitive Area (Slough Creek- 



Hellroaring) 10 



Total 163 



There are no doubt small additional numbers 

 of grizzly bear scattered throughout the upper 

 Gallatin, the headwaters of the Madison, and the 

 Cabinet, Mission and Bitterroot Ranges. 



The following is a summary of the observa- 

 tions on food habits of the grizzly obtained on 

 the various units of study: 



Early Spring: Search for and use of winter 

 killed animals. Use of first green vegetation, both 

 grasses and weeds. 



Middle and late spring: Important use of 

 bulbs and roots. Large areas torn up searching 

 for the bulbs of the dog-toothed violet and the 

 starchy roots of wild parsley (cogswellia sp). An 

 increasing use of green vegetation, particularly 

 grasses; the use of the leaves of poas, festucas, 

 bromes, and several species of sedge most no- 

 ticeable. 



Summer: A continued use of the leaves of 

 green grasses. An increasing use of ants, beetles, 

 and other insects as well as their eggs, larvae 

 and young. Much of this type of food is found 

 in and under rotten stumps, logs and under 

 rocks. Torn logs and overturned rocks are un- 

 mistakable and rather striking evidence of the 

 presence of bear at this season of the year. Use 

 of wild fruits and berries became increasingly 

 evident during the late summer. The most im- 

 portant of this type of food was the tall huckle- 

 berry (Vaccinium membranaceum) and the small 

 or low huckleberry (Vaccinium scoparium). 



Fall: The use of pine nuts was found to be 

 very important. This use was almost entirely re- 

 stricted to the nuts of White Barked Pine (Pinus 

 Albacaulis). Presumably for this purpose the griz- 

 zlies spend a great deal of their time during the 

 fall in the sub-alpine basins, side hills and ridges, 

 at elevations above 6,500 feet where the White 

 Barked Pine is most commonly found. The bear 

 were able to obtain these nuts by digging up 

 squirrel caches. 



Use of rodents was noticed at various times 

 during the late spring, summer, and fall. This type 

 of food was not considered of primary importance 

 in the area covered by the study. Occasional use 

 of young calf elk has been noted, but is not con- 

 sidered important either to the bear as a source 

 of food, or the elk as a decimation factor. 



It may be seen from the foregoing summary 

 that the grizzly has been aptly classed as om- 

 niverous, in that the types of food taken are wide- 

 ly varied. 



The reaction of this species to the protection 

 of closed areas has been demonstrated in both 

 Yellowstone and Glacier Parks. The effect of a 

 small closure was shown by the larger number 

 of grizzlies found within the Sun River Game 

 Preserve (closed since 1912). The population in- 



[39: 



