Bears and Man in Glacier National Park, British

PANEL
Bears
British
5:
AND
BEARS
and
Man
in
Columbia,
JOHNS.MARSH
of Geography,
Department
HUMAN
Glacier
BEINGS
National
Park,
1880-1980
University
of Calgary,
Alberta
INTRODUCTION
in this paper stems from more general research
Work on the topic discussed
1 but I think
and
on recreation
planning in Glacier National Park,
development
in several
it is independently
ways. First, Glacier Park is an increasjustified
of the
to be a stronghold
that continues
resource
ingly valuable ecological
former
much
of
its
over
diminished
a
range.
bear,
markedly
species
grizzly
area.
national recreation
important
Secondly, Glacier is also an increasingly
can
resource
and recreational
of the park as an ecological
Sound management
underthere
is
if
the
be
achieved
bear/man
fully
relationship
pertaining
only
time pera considerable
time period 1880-1980
stood. Thirdly,the
provides
The white man's invasion of the area began in 1881;
on the problem.
spective
the nature and degree of man's impact
hence by starting then one can assess
such as bears, in the cumula?
and its components,
on the primeval
landscape
it is felt that certain
to 1980 because
The work is projected
tive long term.
actions can, and should, be implemented
very soon if the resource
positive
values outlined are to be safeguarded.
Finally, there is a dearth of information
in the park.
and educational
for interpretive
available
programmes
FOCUS OF INTEREST
In my work on the man/bear
in Glacier Park I am concentrating
relationship
re?
on three main areas of interest.
First, park visitor behavior and attitudes
and attitudes; and third, Parks
behavior
garding bears; second, park resident
that
Branch policies
and actions.
The current stage of research
necessitates
on the first area?the
and
in this paper I concentrate
history of visitor behavior
bears in Glacier Park. The information
for re?
attitudes
available
regarding
search includes
visitor
accounts, log books of hotels and mountain huts, Parks
2 The material
Branch reports,
studies and public opinion surveys.
ecological
thus varies considerably
but
in accuracy,
and in temporal
and spatial coverage,
cross checking and evaluation
of sources
serve to minimise
Before
errors.
to a chronological
in Glacier
proceeding
survey of the bear /man relationship
Park a brief description
of the study area is in order.
Undertaken
in connection
with the authorfs Ph.D.thesis,
entitled:
Man, Land?
Glacier National Park, British
scape and Recreation,
Columbia, 1880 to
Present.
of the National and Historic
The assistance
Parks Branch and the Alpine
Club of Canada in making information
available
is gratefully
acknowledged.
289
Glacier
National
Park
Glacier National Park,founded
as a small reserve
in 1886, now encompasses
521 square miles of the rugged, glaciated,
central Selkirk Mountains, centred
on Rogers Pass.
The area, lying within the bend of the Columbia River, is
drained by four main streams,
the Beaver, Mountain Creek, Illecillewaet
and
Flat Creek.
The topography
ranges in height from 3,000 to 11,000 feet, and the
climate is marked by short summers
and high precipitation,
65 in?
averaging
ches, the bulk being snow. The vegetation
ranges from dense, virgin stands
of cedar, hemlock, spruce and fir at the lower elevations
to alpine meadows
above 8,000 feet. There are also areas of swamp, cottonwood,
alder and berry
to bears.
patches that are of special importance
The first major impact on man on this environment
resulted from the construc?
tion of the Canadian Pacific
Railway via Rogers Pass in 1885. The following
year a small area around the pass was set aside as the Glacier Park Reserve.
Within this area a hotel, the Glacier House, and other recreational
facilities
were quickly provided by the railway company and a flourishing
tourist trade
established.
Despite avalanche
damage a railway town continued to exist at
via the Connaught Tunnel in 1916.
Rogers Pass until the track was relocated
The tourist business
was curtailed
of the
abruptly in 1925 with the closure
hotel and for the next thirty years there was little development
or use of the
and size.
Renewed
park, which by 1930 had acquired its current boundaries
mass visitation
and new bear problems
since the
have occurred
development,
opening of the Trans-Canada
High way via the park in 1962.
EARLY
VISITORS
AND BEARS
Some of the names in the park indicate the early recognition
given to bears in
the area, thus, we find: Bear and Grizzly Creeks,and
the mountains,
Ursus
Major and Minor. The first known white explor er in the area, Major Rogers,
said little about bears other than noting that his party had shot them while
River.
of the
travelling
up the Illecillewaet
However, subsequent
explorers
all
comment
on the numbers of bears found there.
region
(1884),
Fleming
noted that the surveying party before him in the Beaver Valley had seen as many
as fifty. A later report (Anon. 1885, p. 887), assures
that in the area
sportsmen
the railway construction
surrounding
camp in Bear Creek:
the bears
are still
there
for the engineers
were
too busy to do much
hunting.
The eminent
Pass
Rogers
time spent
John Macoun (1922, p. 230) recalls
naturalist,
Mountain:
in 1885, and notes when climbing
Avalanche
near
By good luck we never saw a bear but smelt them very often. The day
a wounded grizzly
before we reached the mountains
had attacked two men
when one of them was drinking at a little creek.
in the
This appears to be the first of very few attack on humans recorded
in Glacier visitors
Glacier Park area. During the first thirty years of tourism
bears with a mixture of fear and sportsmanship.
Thus, a
regarded
apparently
at Glacier House was said (Cumberland,
1887, p. 160) to be:
painter vacationing
at not
he appeared to be highly regretful
over the scenery,but
in raptures
numbers to
having brought his rifle with him as bears were in sufficient
when going out on a lonely sketching
cause him uneasiness,
expedition.
290
of the Canadian Pacific
in the literature
Such attitudes
were fostered
Railway
that
Railway, 1888, p. 26,1889, p. 58), which, while declaring
(Canadian Pacific
at Glacier:
bears
also
stated
can always
be obtained
that:
is always looking
the grizzly...
chet, look out for squalls.
for trouble
and when he digs up the hat-
the bow, but nothing
Things have changed with time, the rifle has supplanted
has supplanted
the grizzly; he is there yet and king of the wilds...
It is little wonder that while most visitors
probably only saw tracks, and al?
no one was injured, many people carried
rifles or revolvers
though virtually
the backcountry.
of all Glacier's
the C.P.R. had one and
To ensure the satisfaction
visitors,
later two bears chained to posts next to the station and Glacier House hotel.
Rev. Green (1890, p. 65) described
one as:
a black
mother,
animal.
bear
cub, which
but, nevertheless,
in
at first made night horrible
for its
by squealing
was a most intelligent,
playful and amusing little
At least one of the bears escaped, its collar later being found on the top of one
of the snowsheds.
The practice
of exhibiting
the
animals, often exotics,in
national parks was continued for a long time, there being a zoo at Banff and,
even today, a buffalo paddock in that park. Perhaps
even more grotesque
and
was the exhibition
of dancing French bears at Glacier in 1895.
inappropriate
all across
They had given displays
Canada, but at least one bear got his reto death in Winnipeg.
venge on man by hugging a spectator
HUNTING
For a long time the hunting of bears in the park was encouraged
by the C.P.R.fe
and there are numerous
of hunts quoted in the
promotional
literature,
examples
literature.
Most were unsuccessful
there being many difficulties,
as noted by
Stutfield (1903, p. 148):
are by no means uncommon
Bears, black, brown and grizzly
kirks,but
hunting for them in those vast, dense and trackless
like looking for the proverbial
needle in the haystack.
Some bears
the railway.
were shot in the backcountry
of the park but most
Thus,Sladen
(1895, p. 296) notes:
in the Selforests
is
were
killed
near
We never saw or heard any grizzlies
while we were at the hotel; but that
they do exist is certain, for they get killed in the immediate
vicinity when
there are not too many tourists
about to frighten them. There was one
killed just before we went there that weighed over twelve hundredweight.
to Feuz,one
of the Swiss Guides, later at the Glacier House, the
According
hotel garbage was quite an attraction.
This may well have contributed
to an
incident, noted by Wilcox (1897, p. 131) in which:
One gentleman
of the hotel
Bears
were
also
had the good fortune
reported
attracted
to shoot
to explorers
a black
bear
supply
camps
from
a window
and the railway
291
settlements
in the park. Arthur
that in the Asulkan valley:
Wheeler,
the surveyor,
reports
(1905, p. 91)
On the way up,the tracks of a huge bear had been noticed along the path
worn by our ponies and investigation
showed the same tracks all around
the tent....
the bear hung around for some days and was seen by the
packers on the trail lower down, at which time they were within fifty feet
of him but without a rifle.
Later,
Wheeler
recalls:
We had three visits of this sort at main cap at Rogers Pass.
As a rule
else the local sportsmen
were very bad
(the bears) bore charmed lives,or
shots.
Of all the characters
assoeiated
with bears in Glacier, one, Charles Deutschknown as f01d GrizzlyT was the most prominent.
He prospected
man, otherwise
and hunted throughout the Selkirks
and while doing so in Glacier Park discove?
red the Nakimu Caves,in
1904. The caves are located in the Cougar valley
and Deutschman
doubtless
shot a number of bears in this area. Wheeler
(National Parks, 1914, p. 6) states that:
During one of our visits a grizzly bear (Ursus ferox) was killed by Deuts?
is plentiful at the head of Bear
chman. The black bear (Ursus americana)
Balu Pass, and it may be safely assumed that he does not
Creek across
fail to visit Cougar valley.
A later caretaker
were quite inat the caves did, however, note that grizzlies
memoirs
will be pub?
Hopefully Deutschmanfs
frequent in the Cougar valley.
on his activities
and the history
lished, thus providing much new information
of bears in the Selkirk Mountains.
1910-1960
The explorer,
Howard Palmer, having seen a bear in the southern backcountry
of the park, in 1910, was the first to express,
in writing (Palmer
1910, p. 482),
rather than shooting bears.
an interest
in photographing
However, most people
doubtless
still
hunted with a gun, some on a grand scale, as is indicated by the
of one of Palmer Ts men, who, near Beavermouth
comments
(Palnrer 1914,
p.242)
had met a bear hunter on the river going back with the fruits of his seaof twenty-seven
black and brown bearskins.
sons trapping, consisting
While the C.P.R. apparently
discouraged
hunting in the parks after 1904, it was
not until 1919 that the federal government
gained control of wildlife in the
Even then, with better law enforcement,
hunting and poaching continued,
parks.
at least until 1930. The last recorded
big bear hunt in the area took place on
the eastern edge of the park, in 1926.
with bears,
in this paper is on park visitor
While the emphasis
relationships
in the 1920's are of interest.
on the attitudes of park residents
some comments
about bears came to be heard.
It was in the 1920's that resident
complaints
of Glacier was shot
around the settlement
A bear that had become a nuisance
a
submitted
in 1921. In 1925 the bear problem was so bad that the residents
(National Parks, 1925). It read:
petition to the Park Superintendent
Now that the snows have gone the bears
in former years.
they seem
Apparently
292
are beginning to roam around as
and going
to be more numerous
Now that JunkinTs camp is closed down, where
round in threeTs and fourfs.
the bears used to be fed often and frequently,
they are getting to be a
We suggest if you would allow six or seven
bother and very destructive.
let off around here it would
of these bears to be shot and ammunition
scare the rest away and then we would not have this worry and trouble
over them.
attitude to bear control and further
the prevailing
indicates
This statement
from artificial
shows the continuing
feeding of bears and
problem resulting
that bears had increased
The suggestion
of such food supplies.
the withdrawal
of Warden Mann (pers.
in number around 1925 is backed by the recollections
comm. 1969). Such a change in population or distribution
might have been in?
of the hotel and fewer visitors,
fluenced by the decline in hunting, the closure
An estimate
of animal
of other park settlements.
as well as by the closure
in the park, the first census of its kind in Glacier, gave the number of
numbers
and 100 others (National Parks, 1925a).
park bears in 1925 as: 10 grizzly
of the park's fauna
In 1942 (Munro 1945) a second, more substantial,
inventory
It was estimated
that there were then about 60 black and 35
was undertaken.
grizzly bears, mainly along the railway route, in the park. While Munro knew
of only one bear attack on a human in Glacier, he did note (Munro 1945, p. 185):
and dislike of the animal.
It is
Nevertheless
people admit an uneasiness
and there seems little doubt that
met often enough to cause apprehension
its presence
deters some people from visiting the park.
Park residents,
were still concerned
about the bears to the point
likewise,
where they were said to be afraid of going out on the trails for fear of meeting
Not surprisingly
a National Parks report (1943) reads:
grizzly bears.
The Grizzly Bear menace in the National Parks is largely confined to
Glacier Park.In
Glacier Park there were six or seven grizzlies
which
came in very close to the townsite
Three of these ani?
at Glacier Station.
mals were killed by the wardens a few months ago.
the 1940fs, public attitudes
and park policy were such that a number
Thus,in
bears considered
a nuisance
were shot, though by this time hunting them for
sport had been terminated.
By 1960 we have on record a minimum of four
and fifteen bears shot, with an unknown number killed by trains, in
maulings
Glacier Park. In the 1960's both attitudes
and action were to change.
of
The 1960's
In 1962, when the Trans-Canada
Highway was opened via Glacier Park, the bear
1958)
(Mundy 1963) as 100. A compilation
population was estimated
(Francis
indicates
that many of the park's bears were located along the line of the rail?
way. It was along this route that the highway was built, hence many of the ani?
mals were affected by this development.
Of 18 grizzlies
handled by Mundy in
1961 and 1962, only three were trapped away from garbage dumps, mostly in
association
with construction
camps.
Apart from garbage, some bears even ate
research.
One bear that 'bothered'
a trail
dynamite being used for avalanche
crew was blinded by a dynamite blast used as a bear repellent,
and subse?
quently had to be destroyed.
To obtain data on current
Glacier Park an interview
1969. The results
of this
visitor
attitudes
and behavior
bears in
regarding
of
survey was conducted in the park in the summer
elsewhere
study have been reported
(Marsh 1970) but
293
here to provide comparison
will be summarised
with the historic
evidence
of the survey provide a background to some
cited.
the results
Furthermore,
and possible
current problems
solutions.
interviewed
had seen bears in the wild but under
Most of the 114 park visitors
no one reported having been
10% claimed to have seen a grizzly, and virtually
said bears discouraged
Under 20% of those interviewed
bothered by bears.
them from camping.
them from hiking, and under 10% said bears discouraged
As regards
only 2% wanted all bears removed from the parks,
management,
should be eliminated
in the park. Hunting of
though 19% thought all grizzlies
for protection
in the parks were disapof firearms
bears and the carrying
the present
considered
Most of those interviewed
proved of by the majority.
noxious bears away from people to be the most approp?
of removing
practice
of
While few people displayed
riate course of action.
any detailed knowledge
and seen films about
bears most had read something,
usually non-technical,
bears.
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSIONS
Since the 1880's there have been marked changes in the Glacier Park environ?
of both man and bear. Likewise,
ment and consequently
changes in the behavior
has changed during this period.
between the two species
the relationship
Today, we find, at least amongst that segment of the public that stops in Gla?
in high toleraof, bears that results
cier Park, an interest
in, and appreciation
It would
human injury and inconvenience.
tion of them despite the occasional
and
of bears, expressed
by park visitors
appear that the fear and ignorance
The
declined.
have
the
sportof
turn
aggressive
at
the
alike
residents
century,
observaa
more
to
in
the
has
bears
passive,
in
interest
park,
way,
given
ing
enthusiasm.
tional and photographic
elimina?
and attitudes have not,unfortunately,
Such changes in human behavior
Thus National Park
interaction.
due to man/bear
ted long standing problems
still have to tackle the problem of trying
in Glacier and elsewhere,
managers,
of the park habitat while ensuring the
natural
as
bears
to maintain
components
In the past there has been
residents.
and
visitors
of
satisfaction
and
park
safety
the blame
and cope adequately
with, problem situations;
a failure to anticipate,
has
the
alike.
visitors
and
tendency
Furthermore,
both
park managers
falling on
for a short period rather than provide long term solu?
been to divert problems
of noxious bears has often failed to solve prob?
For example, relocation
tions.
one garbage source for another.
of
substitution
the
has
as
lems,
situation
Given this continuing unsatisfactory
seem
to 1980, and some positive
suggestions
a brief look at the future,
in order.
at least
THE FUTURE
of bears, and
and management
in the knowledge
Unless there are improvements
to believe
reason
seems
there
of
behavior
and
every
visitors,
in the education
further causing undesiin the park will deteriorate
that man/bear
relationships
in other parks in Cana?
The situations
and danger to both species.
rable stress
and guides on which to base action.
da and the U.S.A. can serve as warnings
but implementation
are available
to many of the problems
solutions
Technical
poten?
has been tardy. To ensure the optimum use of Glacier Park's resource
that some action be taken
tial, as outlined at the start of the paper, requires
294
within
the next ten years.
More specifically,
it is suggested
that the following
in Glacier Park be considered
and
points relating to man/bear
management
acted upon as soon as possible.
on
Further research
should be undertaken
individual
problems.
provide management
bear ecology and visitor
and attitudes
recreation
behavior
in the park to provide sound facts on which to tackle the
Such research
should be on a continuing
basis so as to
with up to date information
on a changing situation.
Full advantage
should be taken of practical
of research
elsewhere,
reports
by exchange
such as this.
in conferences
and theoretical
obtained
knowledge
and park personnel,
and participation
In Glacier, garbage equipment,
and disposal
collection
needs improvement.
Burning garbage is no use if bears get to it at campgrounds
prior to this. Fur?
even incinerated
thermore,
garbage, as is found near Rogers Pass, attracts
fenced.
bears, unless the area is effectively
Visitor facilities,
like those at Mountain Creek, need
especially
campgrounds,
to be better designed
and located to minimise
the chance of bears feeding in
them and subsequently
troublesome.
becoming
Noxious bears need to be dealt with more effectively.
This means quick recog?
nition of a problem situation
Lack
and immediate,
effective
action.
long-term
of access
roads in Glacier prohibits
the trucking of noxious bears to remote
areas of the park, like Flat Creek or Mountain Creek.
In the past many bears
removed
have returned and caused further trouble and expense.
Consideration
should be given to helicopter
removal.
In view of the fact that Glacier Park is considered
a prime refuge of the griz?
to zone part of the park, say Mountain Creek, specifi?
zly it may be desirable
cally for this purpose, and manage bears and visitors
accordingly.
On the human side many improvements
should be made or initiated immediately.
of bears should be adequately
the feeding or intimidating
Laws regarding
puband zealously
licised
enforced, with press coverage
given to such enforcement.
A more extensive
and intensive
educational
bears in the
concerning
campaign
This survey has indicated
that attitudes
and be?
parks should be undertaken.
havior of visitors
have changed, so why not further change?for
the better?
Education
and interpretation
regarding
parks and bears should be extended into
the cities,for
this is where most park visitors
are from, and this is where the
media and public, during their weekday leisure
Park lit?
time, are available.
erature on bears needs to be more detailed and specific
to each park and
should be based on more thorough ecological
research
as outlined previously.
at all levels should be more familiar
with bear ecology
Finally, park personnel
and problems.
This applies especially
to those meeting the public in the camp?
on bears is
grounds and at interpretive
talks, when advice and information
often requested.
This calls for greater training of such personnel
and their
to the public.
improved
availability
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The Canadian
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October: 882-888.
Pacific
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The Century
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Timetable?The
Great
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CUMBERLAND,
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to Ocean.
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notes.
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Observations
in
FRANCIS, G. R. 1958.
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GREEN, W. S.
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