We now have a second bear biologist, and I have only met Hannah for a short time, but I think she's legit. Should be interesting to see how this goes forward.

The collaring/tagging bears personally make me sick.

Why?

I got a dumb, dumb question. When them little bears grow, does she go find them and loosen their collars up every couple weeks?

Didn't see a single bear in those pics!!!!! Wow.....

Forgive me but I'm automatically suspicious of young females, and for the most part young males that have been taught to think like females, these days.

Is she safely married to a man? With kids? Raised in an intact family with a father?

Yes, sexist but I'm long past being in touch with my feelings and I'm feeling - these days.

Those collars stretch enough to get them through their first year, then they change them out in the winter when they den.

Wait until Bernie finds out she’s a Tranny.....

I don't like seeing the collars and tags on the bears either, I would rather things were kept natural. But to me, the fascinating things I have learned about bear behavior and biology makes it worthwhile.

A bear just does the same as every animal.
The $ spend is ridiculous.
Do they (we) REALLY think there is anymore to "learn"

Those GPS collars have opened up a whole new world of information that no one had any idea about, and dispelled some long-held myths. And we're just getting started. I'm super excited about what the future holds for what we can learn about the movement patterns, etc.

You are correct that no government agency is going to be efficient with the funds but it's all we got.

Same here! She is pretty easy on he eyes.

Just googled and it looks like the one that just retired is a woke environmentalist. What makes you think this one is better.

Good Deal
Is she the main biologist or an assistant?

It's not hard to figure out after just talking to her for a few minutes.

Not sure exactly what her title is, but she works alongside Bear Project Leader Andy Tri.

She came from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation. Studied Fish & Wildlife Biology at Auburn.

I suddenly have an abiding interest in bears....

I did some research for an article a few years back after a particularly bad year of bear mauling's. There is a lot of evidence that shows human / bear conflicts are higher in bears that have been handled by humans.

Higher than what??? As opposed to bears that have not had contact with humans or have never even seen a human?

Wow. Think about that one. I wouldn't put much faith in "evidence" that cannot be validated or quantified.

Leave BernieB alone...he's in wuv....

He wants her to tag and collar him

I wouldn't discredit the evidence until a deeper dive into just why the previous handling interaction occurred.

A. Tagged and collared as cub = higher probability to maul

B. Adult bears relocated due to nuisance behaviors = higher probability to maul

Two totally different things

Either way the initial finding deserves further research.

Oh there was lots of evidence. Came right from Fish / Game. Bears that were collared or trapped are more likely to act aggressively than those that have not been handled by people. This is in and around the communities.

Yukon do you have a link to these results? I would love to see what they used for a control group.

Not trying to dis you personally but I am pretty darn skeptical of the study.

Do you have any links to the new information or the dispelled myths?

Higher than what? That's my point. It seems it would be impossible to have a control group. How could you have any idea what other interactions these bears have had with humans? Among bears that have not been handled by humans, you have bears that get into trash all the way to bears that have never encountered a human before, and an entire continuum in between.

Do you have any links to the new information or the dispelled myths?
[/quote]

I have been doing articles in bear hunting magazine and videos on my youtube channel over the past few years. There are several studies that have been published by various DNR's in several states. Do a search you'll come up with all kinds of stuff.

The late Bob Hayes was probably one of the most experienced carnivore biologists in NA. He once told me that a bear will learn from a single experience. He told me bears that have been handled a single time would run and hide years later when they heard a helicopter coming. I've lived in bear country my entire life and have no doubt that handling bears could cause problems down the road.




Collaring wildlife can be a useful tool in some cases but I believe its used to often by some biologists.

I agree about the collaring. And yes I have said many times that bears learn from a single experience good and bad, I have personally observed it hundreds of times. How does a big buck get big? Because he had a close call when he was younger. Why will some bears NEVER come to a bait site in the daylight? Probably a single experience. Why do bears run away from helicopters? Because they are noisy and scary.

I want to see this study you are referring to. Did Bob Hayes do it? At least that would be a good place to start doing a search for it.

Its not rocket science when you start looking at some of the data. I dont remember the numbers off the top of my head but a high percentage of the bears that were involved in maulings had either been collared or trapped. Anyone with any experience with bears knows that they have a higher chance of becoming aggressive whenever they are habituated to people. This can be caused by tourists, garbage, ect. Its not a stretch to think handling by biologists could have the same effect.

There was no "study" that i know of. I said there was evidence of it in the research I did. No way fish/game is going to open that can of worms, but they are aware that its possible. I know that from talking to some of them.

True, finding enough data sets that are truly comparable would be highly unlikely.

If I had to take a WAG at it I would suspect B. But I don't know bears.

But I'm the kind of nerd that likes digging into data.

Tagging and/or gps collaring are great research tools, but only when the objectives of the study are clearly defined. What question needs to be answered, and specifically how will the tracking or tag return data be used to better manage the species. Too often these can end up with GeeWiz results like bear/moose/wolf #27 traveled 493 miles in 5 days. So what, thats what wild animals do.
Or worse yet animal #27 gets a name and gets posted on facebook and gathers a following, and we all know where that leads.

Why not just leave the bears alone to do what they do ....crap in the woods.

Kill some off when needed . Been that way forever


This is a legitimate question

Hopefully they don't find that bear baiting causes issues.

There was no "study" that i know of. I said there was evidence of it in the research I did. No way fish/game is going to open that can of worms, but they are aware that its possible. I know that from talking to some of them. [/quote]

With all due respect, that's what I figured from the beginning, there was no research, only opinion and there is no evidence, only opinion.

It's the same argument that people use against bear baiting. They say that baiting bears acclimates them to humans, and negative human encounters such as maulings, trash digging, etc. are going to occur. Same exact principle you are using for biologists handling bears.

I do not have any research or evidence any more than you do, but I have personal experience and my opinion. I am convinced that baiting bears causes bears to understand human interaction and trains them to better avoid humans.
Handling by biologists? The process of being darted in the den, pulled out by the leg, manhandled with ear tags punched through the ears and possibly a collar put on, while the bears are totally conscious but unable to move, is very traumatic. Common sense would say that this traumatic experience with humans would make them trend towards avoidance of any kind of human interaction. (Remember your helicopter illustration earlier)

There is plenty of research and evidence, the real stuff, that once bears have been trapped and relocated, that they are extremely difficult to trap a second time. (one negative experience as you mentioned earlier)
That would also lend credibility to the belief that bears who have had direct contact with humans are more likely to avoid them whenever possible.

Just my opinion.

100% agree. They have to put together a very specific plan before any study gets approved, but sometimes the end value of the results is questionable. It's hard to justify it because of curiosity for most of us. And bears that become celebrities so to speak can never be a good thing.

I agree. Collaring is used to often IMO. It really stresses the animals too. I would like to know the mortality rates associated with collaring in some species. I know some die but trying to get the numbers is like pulling teeth..

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/bear/bear_tagscollars_2.pdf

I read this one in Minnesota’s site.

https://extension.wvu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/black-bears

This one is from WV.

Both of them are pretty dated. Any suggestions on some newer information. Any idea of what new breakthroughs the MN DNR is expecting?

My daughter did some bear research here In WI and she has tagged a few grizzles In Alaska.

It is a good thing to have hunters like this gal employed by the various agencies.

agreed.

As long as Dave G is gone it’s a good thing. If he is still involved it will be the same crap show. The straight shooter and best advocate was Karen Noyce, when she was forced out it was a bad day for Minnesotas bear management program.

Osky

Anyhow they should study bear hunters, they set laws to appease hunter sentiment more than biology

Sort of related in a way.

From research here from collared wolves we found out that the wolves killed a # of bears in the winter dragging them out of their dens.

I agree, collaring is a valuable tool not just for conservation and understanding animal habits better but also for the medical field. I've been a part of a couple of winter den visits that focused more on the "how's" and "why's" of bear hibernation. For example, how do bears slow their heartbeat and oxygen intake so much to be able to survive yet not burn valuable calories while hibernating? What mechanisms do they employ to trigger a slower heartbeat? With more knowledge about this, the information gained can be transferred to the medical field and humans. Maybe there's a way to apply this understanding to a person that's in a coma to help them slow their body, use less energy, and recover faster. Bears are truly fascinating animals that can teach of a lot.

Ben Hopson, Anaktuvuk Pass Nunamiut wolfer, swore by tainted grizzly fat. He often stressed how much wolves love to eat bears. His method was to rub a chunk of tainted fat on a windblown rock and set a 9 there.

The state of PA has been studying black bears and radio collaring them since the 1980's As far as I know there has not been a problem with bears attacking humans Increasingly the bear population has been living in more settled .areas So the chance for bear /human conflict is a possibly Even though it is illegal to feed bears it is a common problem And that cause bears to be disruptive when living in and around food sources Corn fields bee hives and fruit crops are all food to the bear And encouraging bear to be drawn to those areas or more likely to be an issue than what any handling of them when they are young would be .And on another note in PA the PA Game Commision owns and manages the Middle Creek wetlands area It has been a great area of habitat for waterfowl and also small game .Until recently it had always been closed to trapping Within the last 10 years the hired a new manager for the area Because of her efforts they changed what had been a rule which was no trapping into allowing a limited number of trappers on the property Yes it is highly regulated but the young lady they hired for the job was a key part of the area being open to what had always been out of the question before . I had heard about the change of policy and shortly there after I went there to goose hunt I had the chance to talk with her and thanked her for her support of trapping So for all those that have doubts of the lady's motives towards hunting do the fair thing and at least give her the chance to prove herself And be sure to put your best foot forward and give her the same chance you would want if you where the new guy doing the job .

Anybody got her number?

Recently ?? Thats been known/observed for decades at least amongst the people who spend any amount of time in the bush in these parts. Want good wolf bait, use bear.

I think our bear biologist is also a female.

"BR 549"

Seriously? Good grief.

What is the new biologist supposed to be studying. My faith in most of these studies is at zero after the Isle Royal BS!

When Karen Noyce was basically forced out of the Minnesota DNR the bear research department lost all credibility. Tri seems like a really good guy in my interactions with him and time will tell. Karen was an advocate for hunters and baiting of bears. I believe she collared over 800 plus bears.

I’ve read the studies the MN DNR has put out and there was nothing earth shattering that anyone who’s spent a lifetime bear hunting/guiding wouldn’t know.

In response to Jim Gibb’s statement about wolves dragging bears out of dens, cubs and adults, the MN DNR has long denied this as fact. I personally have seen bear hair in wolf scat in fall baiting and spring moose shed hunting.

Osky and Buck’s opinions on anything bear related can be considered gold truth. There’s not many men in Minnesota with the experience of those two guiding or hunting.

Yep.
I can't see any reason to spend $$ on an animal that has already been (studied) for years.

I could give 2 craps if a bear travels 100 miles to look for food/Denning.
They are animal doing what animals do, every year!
But, as long as she's hired, I hope she listens to people that are out n about and have a handle on what's going on instead of reading a book on bear behavior and thinking it Gospel.
She appears to be a hunter. That's great!.
I just hope she follows her own path and doesn't go Woke.

Exactly right

Yes, seriously. Just look around you. This woke BS is being driven by mostly women and the men they hold captive.

Well I’m not all that worked up against putting collars on bears.
I’m sure each department if that’s what they call them, is allocated x amounts of money. What else would the bear group spend it on? They are in the field, hands on, more than can be said for others.
If the money isn’t spent for that then what, more bike trails, hiking trails, nature centers on the edge of the major population centers ?

This being said I’m not nuts about it either. With all the COs prancing around wearing well pressed uniforms and driving new polished trucks at least I know some are literally getting their hands dirty. Best case scenario, they do learn something that helps the bears, bear hunters, or both. I’m neutral on it.

As a side note, I was fortunate enough to know Karen while she worked for the DNR and spent time with her. I do not believe anyone on this planet knows black bears as well as that woman. Simply amazing.

Osky

With all of the anti-outdoor lawsuits filed in the last 20 years the conservation departments (if working in good faith doing research) are necessary when any anti hunting-fishing-trapping agenda ends up in court or on a voting referendum.

Without the information that is gained from doing the research the states have zero legs to stand on in court.

I know many decisions are not based on facts but it can be considered CYA.

My guess is that her Dad is extremely proud of her- I hope she does great things for Minnesota.

Some years ago they where studying the bear and it's ability to den up for a long period of time and not eat Also their cubs are born during the hibernation period The goal was to understand how the bear are able to be dormant for several months and become active as spring arrives Their hope was to find out if that ability could be used in of certain types of treatment for humans that have aggressive diseases The concept was the chemical the enabled the bear to hibernate could be used to cause certain types of diseases to either go into remission or at least be slower to create untreatable conditions .I have not head of any results about this. Scientific study rarely leads on a straight line to any answer But finding answers and acquiring knowledge could lead to a lifesaving break through I am thankful that there are people devoting their effort . As 3togo said above "Without the information gained from doing the research the states have zero legs to stand on in court . "

I sure as H hope there is a well defined objective for this research project, and not just a need to spend allocated money.

Don't give them any more ideas. Before long you will want a bear behind every tree like your neighbors across the river tried doing.

I don't know much about bear collaring, but here is my tentative plan:

The next time one show up at my qual hutches, chicken coops, beehives, I would

• shoot it in the head
• place a collar on it
• observe its behavior

But, seriously, see my post regarding Byrna®12 gauge less than lethal ammo.

Hope they don't collar a female who raises her cubs at a human provided feeding station then goes and raids cabins. That could be bad.

Dont know anything about Karen but Dave G retiring is definitely a good thing in my book. I dont think he had a handle at all on true bear population numbers. If he did, then he certainly didnt do bear hunters any favors. I hope somebody can get a handle on the bear tooth samples. Theres no way yearling bears weigh 200 pounds, seems to be fairly common on reports back to successful hunters.

They will do the defining around here don’t you worry.
Last I spoke with someone there about the objectives topic I was told muchof what they were doing was to figure out how bears physically have adapted to retain body waste, particularly being they are not 100% hardcore hibernators.
Medical implications for this with diabetes, liver, colon, bladder and many other issues. Long term coma patients etc

This is what I was told, take it for what it’s worth, again I’m not advocating, just relaying.

Osky