Sampling Considerations for American Black and Brown Bear Home Range and Habitat Use
We deployed 72 collars with global positioning system (GPS) receivers on female brown bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (U. americanus) in southcentral Alaska during 1998-2000 to evaluate collar performance and to estimate home range and habitat use. Overall, 67% of relocation attempts were successful (range = 10-93%). Most frequent causes for unsuccessful relocation […]
Assessing the Risk of Bear-Human Interaction at River Campsites
The Alsek and Tatshenshini rivers of Yukon, British Columbia, and Alaska, and the Babine River, British Columbia, are seasonally important for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (Ursus americanus). Recreational travelers on these rivers use riparian habitats for camping, which could lead to bear-human interaction and conflict. During visits in late summer 1998-99, […]
Evaluating Nutritional Condition of Grizzly Bears via 15N Signatures and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
Changes in stable nitrogen isotope (δ 15N) values in animal tissues may be an indicator of lean-tissue losses and thus reflect changes in nutritional condition. Adequate nutrient intake may be reflected by insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) synthesis and secretion into the systemic circulation and thus also reflect changes in nutritional condition. However, the use of […]
Bone Prominence and Skin-Fold Thickness as Predictors of Body Fat and Reproduction in American Black Bears
Finding simple and reliable ways to document nutritional condition of animals in the field can help us increase our understanding of population dynamics and behavior. In American black bears (Ursus americanus), age-and-season-specific body mass is a good indicator of nutritional status and reproductive performance. However, mass also reflects an animal’s skeletal stature, so is influenced […]
Survival of Orphaned Black Bears Released in the Smoky Mountains
Rehabilitation and release of orphaned bears into the wild offers bear managers an alternative to euthansia or transfer of bears to captive facilities. The objective of our study was to estimate short-term survival of orphaned American black bears (Ursus americanus) rehabilitated and released into the Smoky Mountains. Between January 1998 and July 1998, we released […]
Effects of Human Activity on Brown Bear Use of the Kulik River, Alaska
I systematically observed brown bear (Ursus arctos) and human activity on a sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stream in Katmai National Park during fall 1993 and 1995. More than 700 hours of observations were used to determine the temporal and spatial use patterns by people and bears as well as the frequency, nature, and outcome of […]
Grizzly Bear-Cattle Interactions on Two Grazing Allotments in Northwest Wyoming
We determined cause of death for 182 cattle found dead on 2 adjacent public land grazing allotments in northwest Wyoming during 1994-96. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) killed fifty-one calves and 6 adults, representing 1.1% (mean) of the annual calf herd and 0.1% of the annual adult herd. An additional 0.9-1.8% of remaining calves were missing […]
Spatial Analysis of Locations of Brown Bears Killed in Defense of Life or Property on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA
The number of brown bears (Ursus arctos) killed in defense of life or property (DLP) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, has been of increasing concern for natural resource managers. During the 1960s, 8 bear deaths were recorded (
Effects of Sex and Age of American Black Bear on Conifer Damage and Control
American black bear (Ursus americanus) feeding damage to conifer stands can result in substantial economic losses in the Pacific Northwest. However, little is known about which sex and age classes of bears cause the most damage and the effectiveness of current control methods. We examined the frequency, intensity, and total conifer damage by radio-monitoring 13 […]
Hunter Effort and Success Rates of Hunting Bears with Hounds in Virginia
Hunting black bears (Ursus americanus) with hounds is viewed by many as unethical, and in 5 of 7 states where the issue was brought to public ballot, bear hunting with the use of hounds was closed. In Virginia, hunting bears with hounds is traditional and the favored method of hunting. We documented hunting effort and […]
