Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area

Journal of Wildlife Management
By: , and 

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Abstract

Strategies animals use to navigate human-dominated landscapes frequently mimic anti-predator responses employed by prey species. Understanding how large carnivores respond to outdoor recreation is important for conservation, particularly in protected areas with preservation mandates. Visitation to Yellowstone National Park doubled from 1980 to 2015, increasing the need to examine potential changes in behavior of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in relation to human recreation sites (trails, backcountry campsites). We developed integrated step-selection functions to explore how recreation sites influenced the movement rate and selection by male and female grizzly bears. Further, we tested whether time of day (diurnal, crepuscular, nocturnal) and restrictions to human access (i.e., restricted, unrestricted) modified bear responses and then compared behaviors based on proximity to recreation sites. Male grizzly bears used trails to travel during crepuscular and nocturnal hours and exhibited more pronounced behavior in restricted areas compared with unrestricted areas, suggesting recreation in unrestricted areas influenced the behavior of male bears. In contrast, female bears varied their movement rate and selection of trails in restricted areas much more than in unrestricted areas, suggesting females may make security tradeoffs between male bears and people. Both sexes used trails, likely as energetically efficient travel corridors; however, our analyses did not indicate that bears spent time near backcountry campsites. The sex-based differences in selection and movement patterns associated with trails and campsites suggest a single management approach for recreation may not equally benefit all bears. Recreation impacts on wildlife are complex to characterize and predict, but simultaneously modeling movement and selection provides a more comprehensive assessment of strategies animals use to navigate perceived risk.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area
Series title Journal of Wildlife Management
DOI 10.1002/jwmg.70068
Volume 89
Issue 7
Publication Date July 22, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Description e70068, 24 p.
Country United States
State Montana, Wyoming
Other Geospatial Yellowstone National Park
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