Special Dogs To Chase Away Grizzly Karelian Breed Brought In To Discourge Bear At Glacier

Trained dogs with specially bred characteristics have been put into service at Glacier National Park, in an effort to keep a young grizzly bear out of trouble.

The bear became comfortable around people, wandering over a Logan Pass boardwalk during the summer and prompting rangers to stand guard with shotguns before crowds of tourists.

The bear was not aggressive and thrilled tourists by the hundreds, but park biologist Steve Gniadek said the combination of a grizzly and crowds of people can be trouble waiting to happen.

In response, park officials brought in Karelian bear dogs, bred to haze bears.

The breed was developed by hunters and farmers in Finland and Russia, who have used the dogs for centuries to run off bears. Utah dog handler Carrie Hunt, who took her animals to Glacier, has used the dogs on black bears in Yosemite National Park and on grizzlies in Alaska.

She arrived at Logan Pass with three of the husky-size dogs and joined Tim Manley, a state bear specialist, who also uses a Karelian.

The dogs went to work last week.

First, Manley and his dog chased the bear off the boardwalk. Then Hunt and her dogs chased the animal again.

The dogs remained on leashes and put on a noisy show of force. Bears generally have an instinct to avoid trouble, and shy away.

By late in the week, the bear was staying in thick brush, and by last weekend, it had left Logan Pass for a hillside to the east.

The bear is expected to den within a few weeks. If it returns to its habits at Logan Pass next spring, Hunt and her dogs may return.

“Tentatively, it seemed successful,” Gniadek said. “We won’t know for sure until spring.”

He said the longstanding practice of trapping problem bears and relocating them brings mixed results.

“It’s still at tool we can use, but it hasn’t proven very effective,” Gniadek said.