Some Park County residents who own remote vacation property have had virtually no bear trouble there for more than two decades. That changed last week when a grizzly came onto their property two nights in a row.
On the first night, the bear apparently clawed at a yurt, with guests inside. On the second night, the bear ripped a huge hole in the side of the then-unoccupied structure.
Nan Jackson O'Neill, who owns the property with her husband, said she heard that the same bear, likely an older female, had caused damage to neighboring properties and was later trapped by wildlife agents.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that it had trapped and euthanized a bear in the area.
“On Sept. 16, Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel responded to reports of a grizzly bear frequenting residential areas and causing property damage in the Crandall area,” agency spokeswoman Amanda Fry told Cowboy State Daily in an email. "The bear was successfully captured.
"After consultation with the USFWS (Fish and Wildlife Service), the decision was made to euthanize the bear, a 25-year-old female, due to its behavior and potential human safety threat."
After clawing at an occupied yurt last week in a remote part of Park County, a grizzly bear came back the next night and tore apart the then-unoccupied structure. (Courtesy Nan Jackson O’Neill) 
A grizzly last clawed at an occupied yurt last week in a remote part of Park County, but fled when the people inside started making noise. (Courtesy Nan Jackson O’Neill) 
After clawing at an occupied yurt last week in a remote part of Park County, a grizzly bear came back the next night and tore apart the then-unoccupied structure. (Courtesy Nan Jackson O’Neill)
Bears Seldom Seen
O'Neill and her husband have owned the property in the Crandall Valley below Hunter Peak for 24 years. It includes a cabin and a yurt.
O’Neill said she stays in the cabin from May to the end of September every year and the yurt is rented out to guests.
It’s an isolated area, and there are some black bears and grizzlies around, she said. However, they haven’t until now had any trouble with either bear species.
For that, she credits their observance of bear safety practices recommended by Game and Fish.
The property is kept clear of leftover human food, carelessly stored garbage, pet food or other bear attractants, O’Neill said.
“We know the bears are here and we’re careful. I hike regularly with my dogs. They have bells and I carry a loud whistle and bear spray,” she said.
They also “educate guests” about bear safety, she added.
It’s not unusual to see a bear or two during the summer, but usually from a distance, she said.
During one of the first years they were there, “We lost a grill to an unknown bear,” but they hadn’t had any trouble since, O'Neill said.
And until last week, things this summer have been even more quiet than usual.
“I hadn’t seen a single bear: not hiking, not by the side of the road,” she said.
Scary Night In The Yurt
Guests checked in to the yurt on Sept. 7, a Sunday. Nothing unusual happened until late Tuesday, the guests’ last night in the yurt.
That’s when the grizzly showed up, although it seemed focused mostly on wild chokecherries, O'Neill said.
The guests heard it from inside the yurt.
“It just milled around, eating the chokecherries,” she said. "It was snuffing around at the window of the yurt. That made them nervous, understandably."
The guests “started making noise,” and the bear fled.
The next day, there were some claw marks on the yurt’s exterior fabric.
O’Neill figured that was the end of it. But late the next night, her dogs started making a racket, so she went to check outside, and from the safety of her porch saw the bear.
“There it was. It had torn a big hole in the side of the yurt. I yelled at it, and it ran away,” she said.
The damage looked awful. But a closer inspection during daylight the next day revealed that it was mostly to the outer covering of the yurt.
O’Neill said she’s thankful that the grizzly didn’t really rip into the yurt while the guests were inside.
She estimates that damages at about $2,500.
No Reason To Fear Bears
Given their mostly peaceful experiences at the property, O’Neill said the yurt getting ripped open by a grizzly was an anomaly, and the incident hasn’t left her feeling frightened.
“I’ve never been afraid (of the bears) and I’m still not,” she said. "This, I believe, was an out-of-the-ordinary event, but also one we’ve always known could happen."
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
