CODY - Despite a recent court decision that put the Yellowstone region's grizzly bears back on the Endangered Species List, the bears are "doing well and have a bright future," according to Steve Schmidt, Chair of the interagency Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee.

  "A team of highly qualified and committed professionals have worked tirelessly since 1983 to increase grizzly bear numbers from roughly 200 in 1983 to 600 today," said Schmidt.

  Recently, the interagency team of federal, state, tribal, and local officials who serve on the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee met in Jackson to continue their charge of implementing the Yellowstone grizzly bear conservation strategy. In a presentation before the 22-member committee, Dr. Chuck Schwartz, team leader of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, stated the population of grizzlies is currently estimated at almost 600 bears.

  "This is a very conservative estimate and we feel the population continues to grow by at least two percent," Schwartz said. "Of the females observed, 19 were accompanied by twins, 11 by triplets and there were two females with quadruplets." Multiple offspring is generally a sign of a healthy and vibrant population.

  The committee has been aggressively applying actions to reduce conflicts between bears, humans, and livestock. The committee is pursuing 27 specific recommendations to reduce bear/human conflicts and bear mortalities. "It is rewarding to see multiple agencies come together toward the common objective of successfully managing this recovered population of grizzly bears. This collaborative approach is important to ensuring the long term viability of Yellowstone grizzlies," Schmidt said.

  Bear management representatives reported to the committee that management actions taken by Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the Wind River Indian Reservation were considerably lower than usual in 2009. Wyoming, home to over forty percent of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population (not including bears in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks), reported an average year with approximately 100 to 150 conflicts. Montana reported 39 conflicts, Idaho two conflicts, Wind River Indian Reservation two conflicts, Yellowstone National Park one conflict, and Grand Teton National Park went conflict free. Twenty-seven grizzly bear mortalities were reported in 2009, of which 23 were human caused, two were natural and two were undetermined.

  The Yellowstone grizzly population had been removed from the federal Endangered Species List and managed by the states since April of 2007. The decision to delist the bears was opposed and litigated by a coalition of environmental groups. Last summer, a federal district court overturned the delisting and put grizzlies back on the list. That decision put Yellowstone grizzlies back under federal authority. Two facts remain: grizzly bear populations are doing well in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and subsequent conflicts and management challenges will follow.

  "The multiple partnerships developed to manage the delisted Yellowstone grizzlies are the best solution to the challenges the species will face in the years ahead," Schmidt said.

  "The states and our partners working together to manage this species was a great example of how adaptive management should work," said Bill Rudd, committee member and Assistant Wildlife Division Chief for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. "There will always be challenges with management. But a flexible system of management that existed when grizzlies were delisted provides for a proven model of successful wildlife management."

  Visit Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department’s web site at http://gf.state.wy.us/ for all the info on the great outdoor opportunities in Wyoming.

  Dogs are harassing big game animals in southwest Colorado this winter and Division of Wildlife officials are reminding pet owners to keep their animals under control.

  At least two elk died as a result of being chased and injured by dogs near Durango and Bayfield; dogs have chased bighorn sheep in the Almont Triangle area near Gunnison; deer have been harassed near Creede and within the city limits of Durango; and deer and elk have been chased in the Montrose area.

  Dogs chasing wildlife is a perennial problem throughout Colorado, but an abundance of snow in the southwest corner of the state is causing additional problems this winter. Deep snow with a crusty surface is making travel difficult for deer and elk. Unlike hoofed animals, dogs can run on top of the crusty snow and are easily chasing down the large animals, said Patt Dorsey, area wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Durango.

  "Some people think their dog would never chase wildlife. But when dogs see deer or elk they may act on their natural instincts and give chase," Dorsey said.

  During winter, deer and elk expend large amounts of energy to stay alive - they can lose 30 percent or more of their body weight during the cold months. When big game animals are forced to run they become exhausted and use up valuable calories they need to stay alive. In addition, many female deer and elk are pregnant and especially need to conserve energy.

  Pet owners can be fined up to $275 for allowing their animals to chase wildlife. A pet owner in the Vallecito Reservoir area was fined that amount after her two dogs chased down and injured an elk calf on February 7, 2010.

  Dogs observed chasing wildlife can be shot by law enforcement officers or landowners.

  "Dogs chase wildlife year around, but it is more of a problem during the winter when deer and elk are vulnerable. It's difficult for them to move through the snow and the nutritious green plants are gone. Deer and elk have been losing weight since November," Dorsey said. "Keep your pets indoors, secured in a pen or under strict voice control."

  Cats also cause problems because they kill birds. Cat owners should put a bell on pets' collars and limit the amount of time their cats spend outdoors during the day.

  Anyone who sees dogs chasing wildlife should call the local Colorado Division of Wildlife office, local animal control, or other local law enforcement agencies. Visit http://wildlife.state.co.us/ for information on Colorado’s hunting and fishing.

  Editor’s Note: Although this article is about the problems Colorado is having with dogs and cats harassing wildlife and killing birds the problem is nationwide. We’ve ran several articles of our own over the years addressing this problem. Speaking from experience I have had as well as those in my hunting group several deer and turkey hunts ruined by not only stray dogs chasing wildlife but dogs whose owners let them run loose thinking the entire county is their personal domain. So at the risk of opening a can of worms here if you have similar stories of dogs or cats ruining your hunt or hunting ground lets hear from you. We’ll see what kind of responses we get and run them in a future issue of The Bullet. Thanks – James E. Burns, Editor

  Since the deployment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade to Afghanistan in December 2009, I have been wanting to send to the soldiers of the 'Recon / Scout Platoons' something special besides a "care package" containing cookies, candy, magazines, etc, that other folks are sending them.

  And so one day while tinkering around with some of my survival kits that I make and market on my website, www.SurvivalOutdoorSkills, I came up with an idea for a new type of survival kit 'just for soldiers.'’

  Now when you join the Army unless you’re a pilot or a member of an elite Special Forces unit, you won’t be issued a personal military survival kit. Why? Because they are only issued to those who operate behind enemy lines and or in remote areas of the world far from civilization.

  Ok, so what if you’re not a pilot or a member of a Special Forces unit, does this mean the average soldier doesn’t need survival kit?

  Absolutely not! In fact whether you’re assigned to a conventional unit (infantry, armor, transportation, etc) or an unconventional unit (Special Forces, Ranger, etc) and regardless of your military occupation specialty (MOS), every soldier should pack and carry a personal (military) survival kit.

  What should be in this survival kit?

  Unlike pilots, aircrew and Special Forces units who are all trained in the art of survival and must be ready to deploy anywhere in the world at a moments and need to pack and carry a vast assortment of survival gear. The average soldier doesn't, because not only is he or she not trained in survival but they are not deployed without advance notice and so they only need to pack and carry a few basic survival items.

  And so after contacting a few of my Special Forces and Ranger buddies to get their opinion and input on this topic, the following is a list of items we all agreed the average soldier should pack and carry in their personal (military) survival kit.

  1. General Direction Compass - If you can’t determine directions by simply looking up at the sun, stars, and moon then it’s best to pack and carry a small general direction compass. Better to know what general direction you’re heading in and which way is it back to friendly (or enemy) lines than to wander around aimlessly in circles and risk being found by hostile forces instead of by friendly forces.

  2. Signal Mirror - While military signal mirrors with the "peep holes" are more accurate in signaling someone at great ranges. The average soldier has a difficult time locating the sun or what is commonly referred to as the "fire ball" when looking through these signal mirror peep holes. Therefore the easiest and fastest way to signal someone with any type of mirror with or without a peep hole is to; (a) extend one arm out, (b) form a "V" with two of your fingers, (c) place the target you want to signal between these two fingers, and (d) reflect the sunlight first onto your arm and then up through the “V” and the reflected sunlight should be seen by the target.

  3. Orange Signal Panel - No matter what type of terrain and vegetation you are operating in, almost anything that is “bright orange” will surely stand out and catch someone’s wandering eye whether they’re on foot, in a vehicle or in a low flying aircraft. Even if it’s just a simple inexpensive 20 x 20 inch florescent orange handkerchief or bandanna.

  4. Friend or Foe ID Flag - Should a soldier find him or herself lost or separated from their unit, when approaching friendly lines or a friendly patrol it’s best to carry something that will quickly identify themselves as a friend and not a foe. And there’s nothing more quickly recognizable than a small 12 x 8 inch American flag. Better to carry and wave a small American flag then a "white flag" and risk being mistaken for a foe and shot at by your own troops.

  5. Fire Starter - Unlike pilots and special operation forces who are all trained in the art of survival and fire making, the average soldier knows nothing or very little about survival and fire making. Therefore they should pack and carry the simplest to use fire starter which are 'strike anywhere' matches. And only when they have become more experienced and proficient in starting fires is when they can pack and carry a better fire starter like a flint, magnesium, and steel fire starter.

  6. Small LED Flashlight - Don’t have 'cat eyes' or night vision capabilities? Well neither does anyone else regardless if their special forces or not. And so that’s why it’s a no brainer and a must have survival item to pack and carry along with a few extra spare batteries too.

  7. Small Pocket Knife – Already pack and carry a big ol' Rambo knife or bayonet? Well it doesn’t hurt to pack and carry a small backup. Better to have two knives in case you lose your main one.

  8. Water Container and Tablets – Believe it or not, some of the survival items that WWII pilots use to carry in their survival kits way back in 1944 are still packed and carried in today’s military survival kits. Like condoms. As they make great lightweight and collapsible water containers, besides another use.

  As you can see most of these items are more for signaling than anything else due to the average soldier will most likely find him or herself lost or separated from their unit and will only need to signal for help to be found and rescued.

  Where should these items be stored and carried? The best place is somewhere close and near your body like in one of your shirt or pants pockets, attached to your belt or around your neck. Why? So in the event you have to ditch and drop your ruck or some other military gear you will still have these survival items on you.

  Soon after I purchased all these items separately is when my wife and I began assembling these kits I call the "SMA (Save-My-Ass) Survival Kit." And then once we finished putting together these kits I donated and forwarded them to the 173rd Airborne Recon / Scout Platoons in Afghanistan. And so far we have received nothing but positive feedback and many thank you letters and emails from the troops.

  I have not decided yet if I will market this new type of survival kit with my SOS Survival Kits that I sell on my website (www.SurvivalOutdoorSkills.com). The reason being most of these survival items can be easily acquired and assembled from any local camping and sporting goods store.

  But regardless if you’re soldier in the Army, hunter, camper, hiker or some other type of outdoor enthusiast remember it’s better to pack and carry a few survival items never having to use them than not to pack and carry anything at all and wished you had. Some good advice? You betcha!

  To the 173rd Airborne Brigade Recon / Scout Platoons in Afghn, keep kicking ass and return home safe. Airborne All The Way! Hooah!

  "Army Ranger Rick" F. Tscherne is a retired US Army Ranger who lives in Italy and markets his own survival kits called SOS Survival Kits. To view his kits, tips, tricks and training, visit his website at: www.SurvivalOutdoorSkills.com.