Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. Today, we focus on the expanding range of grizzly bears in the American Redoubt.
Region-Wide (Grizzly Bears)
Reader Tim J. was the first of several readers to send this: Grizzly bears on move in Rockies as hunting is in limbo. The article begins:
“Grizzly bears are expanding their range in the U.S. Northern Rockies, spreading from remote wilderness into farmland amid a legal fight over proposed hunting.
New government data from grizzly population monitoring show bruins in the Yellowstone region of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho expanded their range by about 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) over the past two years.
They now occupy almost 27,000 square miles (69,000 square kilometers), a range that has grown 34 percent in the past decade.
That means more bears on private lands where they can encounter humans and attack livestock, said Frank van Manen with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Run-ins with bears are happening in agricultural areas where the fearsome animals hadn’t been seen for decades, raising tensions in communities over the grizzly’s status as a federally protected species in the U.S. outside Alaska.”
Idaho
Meridian among fastest-growing cities in the nation
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Moose population declining in North Idaho.
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Nampa man charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty
Montana
Following a dispute from the anti-gun city council in Missoula, the organizers of the annual Missoula Gun Show are relocating it. Instead of at the University of Montana Field House, the show will now be held at the Hilton Garden Inn. There first show at the new locale will be on August 2-3-4, 2019.
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Plows continue to make progress on Sun Road. They are hoping to open the road on June 22nd.
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Mayor, US Senate hopeful cited for leaving accident scene
Eastern Oregon
Fire destroys downtown block in Huntington. An arson suspect has been arrested.
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The annual Balloons Over Bend event is scheduled for July 26-28, 2019.
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Owners of The [Bend] Bulletin plan to dissolve company
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Crooked River Wetlands Receives ‘Grand Award’
Eastern Washington
Here is a very affordable new listing, over at our SurvivalRealty spin-off web site: Secluded Miles, Washington Homestead. A small cabin on 20 timbered acres, for just $89,000.
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The first Kendall yards: A community and bridge thrived just west of the state line
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Teen gang member charged with killing Tri-Cities woman. Another teen arrested at Southridge High
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Wyoming
Wyoming Population Has Fallen in More Than Half of Counties
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Wyoming Republican announces he won’t seek reelection in 2020
Send Your News Tips
Please send your American Redoubt region news tips and event announcements to JWR. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.
Here on the border with Canada in NW Montana, black bears are now usually healthy, and seem to be more numerous than ever. The blackie put in the freezer yesterday was unbelievable fat for a spring bear. About 18 years of age, 7+ feet, maybe 350lbs, the fat content is impressive, and the muscle on the forearms were massive. It has been well fed over many years. We figure it might be stealing the calves the local wolf pack takes. In this area, the blackies are now too numerous and unusually fat. Why? Elk and moose population is way down, deer are doing good, wolves are numerous and big, and the black bears are too many and big. Grizzlies has also become problematic in town. In the last 3 years, USFS has been forced to capture them several times and post warning signs on the trail heads in town. There has been one underpublized attack during this time. Mountain lions have also been hanging out in the town under porches etc.
I would not rely on the ‘politically correct’ to accurately report. Bears are an excellent source of storage stable and heat stable cooking fat, and is good for just about anything you could use fat for. To jar it up, remove as much fat as possible. Slow cook it in a heavy salt brine in either a pressure cooker, all day on the wood stove if possible, or just boil it in a pot for about an hour. This method is the least expensive way to remove the gamey taste from meat. Pour off the cook water, then hot pack into jars. I use lots of salt when jarring the fatty meat to hopefully increase the shelf life and storage life after the jar is opened. A jar of Bear fat should be good on the shelf for more than a year unrefrigerated, even over a summer. Will try canning this fat this year, and test it’s longevity in that form. Learn from YouTube on how to render fat.
The rapid increase in the bear population could be a good thing given that fats and oils in general might become be hard to get otherwise. Most folks do not store enough. Raising hogs is another way to provide fat. Black bear fat and meat already brings a high price on the market. $7 to 15.00 per ounce for the fat… $14/lb for stew meat, and $95.00/lbs for the best bear steaks. Just be very careful when messing with any bear. And bring enough rifle.