Benjamin Burgholzer

Jan 9, 2025 | themeateater.com | Katie Hill |Sam Lungren |Eli Fournier |Benjamin Burgholzer

On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that grizzly bears will remain protected as a “threatened” species by the Endangered Species Act throughout their range in the Lower 48. This decision comes in response to a series of petitions from Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho arguing that distinct population segments in the Greater Yellowstone (GYE) and Northern Continental Divide (NCDE) ecosystems have achieved recovery goals and, thus, warranted delisting.

Jun 18, 2024 | themeateater.com | Eli Fournier |Benjamin Burgholzer |Jordan Sillars

In late May, Debbie Colbert was appointed as the first female director of Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), following a nine-year stint by Curt Melcher—director since 2015. MeatEater caught up with Debbie after her first few weeks on the job, and got to know who she is and what she envisions for ODFW moving forward. From dam removals on the Snake to hatcheries and wolf relocations, we chatted about some of the issues most concerning to sportsmen and women in the state.

Nov 28, 2023 | themeateater.com | Eli Fournier |Benjamin Burgholzer

In early October, a landowner in central Montana photographed a grizzly bear near the Judith River—the first time in over a decade that the species has been confirmed on the prairie landscape. The landowner, American Prairie (AP), captured the image on a game camera about two miles upstream from the confluence with the Missouri River. “Nobody is presently alive in central Montana that remembers when grizzlies were last on the prairie,” AP’s Wildlife Restoration Manager, Daniel Kinka said.

Nov 7, 2023 | themeateater.com | Patrick Durkin |Macklin Caruso |Benjamin Burgholzer |Sam Lungren

Wisconsinites who scorn gray wolves often claim they see far more of them than deer in the state’s northern forests over the past 20 years. Those with trail cams—which are now as common as ravens and wood ticks in the Northwoods—often claim the same results, whether the cameras are monitoring bait piles, food plots, game trails, field edges, or two-track roads.

Oct 11, 2023 | themeateater.com | Eli Fournier |Benjamin Burgholzer |Travis Hall

After decades of absence, grizzly bears may be returning to Washington’s North Cascades. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering a reintroduction plan that aims to put the species back on a large swath of their historical home range. Under the plan, the agency is proposing to reintroduce seven to ten bears over a period of five to ten years, with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining population of 25 animals. Long-term, the goal is 200 bears within 60 to 100 years.