Bear Use of Cutthroat Trout Spawning Streams in Yellowstone National Park
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (U. americanus) prey on spawning cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki, formerly known as Salmo clarki) in tributary streams of Yellowstone Lake. These tributary streams were surveyed from 1985 to 1987 to determine the presence and level of trout spawning activity and bear use. Indices were developed to enumerate spawner […]
Predatory Behavior of Grizzly Bears Feeding on Elk Calves in Yellowstone National Park, 1986-88
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) were observed preying on elk calves (Cervus elaphus) on 60 occasions in Yellowstone National Park, with 29 confirmed kills. Some bears were deliberate predators and effectively preyed on elk calves for short periods each spring, killing up to 1 calf daily. Primary hunting techniques were searching and chasing although some […]
Grizzly Bear Predation on Elk Calves and Other Fauna of Yellowstone National Park
Success rate, frequency, chronology, and techniques of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) predation on elk calves (Cervus elaphus) were determined from visual observations in the Pelican Valley area of Yellowstone National Park, 1984-88. Seventy hunts directed toward elk groups containing calves were recorded, 26 of which were successful. Twenty-one, 13, and 4 percent of all […]
How to Obtain Behavioral and Ecological Data from Free-Ranging, Researcher-Habituated Black Bears
A study was conducted in northeastern Minnesota from 1986-1989 to determine the feaşibility of habituating black bears (Ursus americanus) to observers for behavioral and ecological research. Of 18 males and 8 females that repeatedly visited an artificial feeding site in the presence of humans, 32-year-old females were radio-collared for further habituation away from the site. […]
Play Behavior of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Human Presence at Pack Creek, Admiralty Island, Alaska
Brown bears of all ages play. They use fighting movements and postures to interact harmlessly with conspecifics, they chase birds, they roll and slide, and they manipulate objects. Individual bears at the Pack Creek estuary on northern Admiralty Island played from less than 1% to over 20% of their total time in sight in 1987-8. […]
The Influence of Salmon Availability on Movements and Range of Brown Bears on Southwest Kodiak Island
Brown bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) movements and seasonal range were examined in relation to the temporal and spatial distribution of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) on southwest Kodiak Island, Alaska, from 1983 to 1987. Salmon were available to bears from late June to mid-December and were utilized by all sex and age classes. From 50-89% of adult […]
Black Bear Seasonal Food Habits and Distribution by Elevation in Banff National Park, Alberta
The food habits and distribution by elevation of black bears (Ursus americanus) in Banff National Park, Alberta, were investigated during a 3-year radio-telemetry study. Analysis of feeding signs indicated that the typical year is divided into the following bear food seasons: 1) green-up (den exit to mid-June), when horsetails (Equisetum sp.) and graminoid vegetation (grasses, […]
Pre and Post Breakup Movements and Space Use of Black Bear Family Groups in Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee
The movements and space use of 7 yearling black bears (Ursus americanus) (3 males, 4 females) from 3 family groups were intensively monitored concurrently with 13 adults (6 males, 7 females) in the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee from February 1983 until December 1983. The timing of family breakup occurred in 2 families between 29 May-5 […]
Denning Ecology of Brown Bears in Southcentral Alaska and Comparisons with a Sympatric Black Bear Population
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) in southcentral Alaska spent an average of 201 days in winter dens. Males spent the least time in dens (mean = 189 days) and parturient females the most (mean = 217 days). Females with cubs of the year and females pregnant at den entry spent the least amount of time out […]
Black Bear Dens in the Beartooth Face, South-Central Montana
Thirty-three black bear (Ursus americanus) dens were located on the Beartooth Face of south-central Montana during the winters of 1984/85 through 1986/87. Mean slope (28°) and elevation (2,239 m) of den sites did not significantly differ between males and females. Most (61%, N = 33) den sites were located on northerly (northeast, north, and northwest) […]