On their state flag (implying that they respect it) while red states like Montana, Wyoming and Idaho managed to preserve a somewhat healthy population of grizzly bears?
Because Montana and Wyoming didn't have gold rushers and homesteading farmers flowing by the thousands and getting eaten by bears. Also, I think the flag was devised before the grizzlies were all killed off. Besides, its california. We don't care about the goddamn constitution, why would we care about a silly patch of cloth?
Because Mr. California was an evil man who hated grizzlies or are you saying everyone that has ever lived in California has killed a grizzly.
This is the Beck logic at work: They killed the grizzlies AND they are a BLUE state. Hypocrites! Look, I'm not going to make excuses for the extermination of grizzlies in CA, but c'mon with the political connection.
They were hunted for food. There is still a very small population of Griz in the NE corner of the state. Interesting fact. The Indian term for the Silicon Valley, AKA Santa Clara Valley was Grizzly Valley. The only thing Grizzly now in that craphole is the traffic. Edit: The last known Grizzly shot was in Fresno in 1922. Since Griz roams a wide range the ones seen sporadically in the NE corner of the state probably spend the majority of their time in Oregon. For all intents and purposes they are extinct in the state of California.
The Bear Flag Republic was proclaimed in 1848. The Bear Flag was adopted as the state flag in 1911. There were still grizzlies at both times. California was not always the environmental leader it purports to be now. Read sometime about hydraulic mining in the Sierra which came close to destroying the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay. At the time a cynic might have said that the bear's picture was on the flag so that hunters would know what to shoot at.
