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6292e546-dac1-4281-b46e-8147d80916fc < Back Slide 77 of 83 < > Dead white pines are special because they have just the right amount of branches for big birds to land on without hitting their wings on other branches, and they tower over the other trees, so birds can watch for danger and food while they rest.

a38684cc-e541-4b44-9d5d-2830d876755b < Back Slide 9 of 83 < > The rush to cut white pines started on the Atlantic Coast.

RESEARCH PAPERS Comparison of behaviors of black bears with and without habituation to humans and supplemental research feeding by Roger A. Powell, Susan A. Mansfield and Lynn L Rogers October 5, 2022 Comparison of behaviors of black bears with and without habituation to humans and supplemental research feeding Effects of Food Supply and Kinship on Social Behavior, Movements, and Population Growth of Black Bears in Northeastern Minnesota by Lynn L. Rogers April 1987 Effects of Food Supply and Kinship on Social Behavior, Movements, and Population Growth of Black Bears in Northeastern Minnesota Do Bears That Lose Their Fear of People Become More Likely to Attack? Becklund, J.; DeBruyn, T.; Herrero, S., T. Smith, T. D. DeBruyn, K. Gunther, and C. A. Matt.; Rogers, L. L., and G. W. Wilker; Stringham, S. F; Tate, J. Do Bears That Lose Their Fear of People Become More Likely to Attack? To Feed or Not to Feed Wildlife Research Institute Lynn L. Rogers October 1, 2021 To Feed or Not to Feed Are Brown Bears Less Aggressive in Europe Than in North America? Stephen F. Stringham and Lynn L. Rogers Are Brown Bears Less Aggressive in Europe Than in North America? Behavior in Free-Living American Black Bear Dens: Parturition, Maternal Care, and Cub Behavior Lynn L. Rogers 1, Linda McColley 1, Janet Dalton 1, Jim Stroner 1, Douglas Hajicek 2, AdamPartin 3 and Gordon M.Burghardt 3,4,* Behavior in Free-Living American Black Bear Dens: Parturition, Maternal Care, and Cub Behavior Bed site selection by female North American black bears by Susan A. Mansfield, Lynn L Rogers, Sean Robison, and Roger A. Powell December 15, 2021 Bed site selection by female North American black bears Does diversionary feeding create nuisance bears and jeopardize public safety? Lynn L. Rogers Does diversionary feeding create nuisance bears and jeopardize public safety? Behavior of supplementally-fed black bears in Eagles Nest Township, Minnesota Lynn L. Rogers and Susan A. Mansfield Behavior of supplementally-fed black bears in Eagles Nest Township, Minnesota Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2022 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates February 9, 2023 Final Report to Bear Committee Andrew N. Tri Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2022 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2023 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates February 8, 2024 Final Report to Bear Committee Andrew N. Tri Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2023 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2024 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates February 25, 2025 Final Report to Bear Committee Andrew N. Tri Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2024 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2025 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates February 20, 2026 Final Report to Bear Committee Andrew N. Tri Status of Minnesota Black Bears 2025 Harvests, Complaints, Foods, and Population Trend Estimates Reactions of Free-Ranging Black Bears to Capsaicin Spray Repellent Lynn L. Rogers Reactions of Free-Ranging Black Bears to Capsaicin Spray Repellent Effects of Mast and Berry Crop Failures on Survival, Growth, and Reproductive Success of Black Bears Lynn L. Rogers Effects of Mast and Berry Crop Failures on Survival, Growth, and Reproductive Success of Black Bears Have Black and Grizzly Bears Become More Dangerous? Insights From Human-Bear Fatality Trends Stephen F. Stringham, Lynn L. Rogers, and Ann Bryant (2019) Have Black and Grizzly Bears Become More Dangerous? Insights From Human-Bear Fatality Trends Fear of Humans by Bears and Other Animals (Anthropophobia): How Much is Natural? Stringham, Stephen F. and Lynn L. Rogers. (2017) Fear of Humans by Bears and Other Animals (Anthropophobia): How Much is Natural? Does diversionary feeding create nuisance bears and jeopardize public safety? Rogers, L. L. 2010 Does diversionary feeding create nuisance bears and jeopardize public safety? Black bears and the oak resource in northeastern Minnesota. Rogers, L. L., and E. L. Lindquist. 1991 Black bears and the oak resource in northeastern Minnesota. Grizzly bear and American black bear interactions with people in Yellowstone National Park Gunther, Kerry A., Atkins, Kelly M., Wyman, Travis C., and Reinertson, Eric G. Grizzly bear and American black bear interactions with people in Yellowstone National Park Beyond the Numbers: The Hidden Fragility of Animal Societies by Gosia Bryja Jul 9, 2025 Beyond the Numbers: The Hidden Fragility of Animal Societies The Quiet Undoing of Distance: A Story of Transformation and Coexistence A review of Trina Moyles’s Black Bear: A Story of Siblinghood and Survival The Quiet Undoing of Distance: A Story of Transformation and Coexistence A Bear is not just a Bear: Recognizing the Individual in Wildlife Conservation Gosia Bryja, PhD Dec 20, 2023 A Bear is not just a Bear: Recognizing the Individual in Wildlife Conservation Vocal and Non-Vocal Communication of American Black Bears February 3, 2026 - Benjamin Kilham, James R. Spotila and Andrew A. Timmins Vocal and Non-Vocal Communication of American Black Bears

September 5, 2019 Black bear attacks on humans are rare but often begin as scuffles with dogs, experts say The dog may run to its owner for protection as the bear follows close behind. By Julia Jacobo September 5, 2019, 5:28 PM • 8 min read https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-bear-attacks-humans-rare-begin-scuffles-dogs/story?id=65413852 https://video.wixstatic.com/video/be8434_9f06cbf138494c28978aa1fe9f19ec2b/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Bears kills woman while she's looking for dogs Predatory attacks on humans by black bears are extremely rare, but experts are offering insight as to how some of them may start after a woman was killed in Canada by a black bear while searching for her dogs. A "disproportionate number" of attacks by bears on human are related to dogs, Lynn Rogers, research scientist for the Wildlife Research Institute and founder of the North American Bear Center, told ABC News. A 62-year-old Minnesota woman died over the weekend while she was looking for her dogs in the woods in Rainy Lake, Canada, just a few miles over the border from Minnesota, authorities said. The dogs, yelping and barking, later returned to the cabin, but the woman never returned and was later found with a bear standing over her. (MORE: Bear kills Minnesota woman while she's searching woods for her dogs) Bear attacks involving dogs also occurred in June, when a California man was bitten after he kicked a bear that attacked his dog in his yard, in December 2018, when a Pennsylvania woman was dragged 88 yards in her front yard after a bear attacked both her and her dog, and in June 2018, when a man wrestled a black bear after it lunged at his dog at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The dog in that case was killed. In Minnesota, three of the seven unprovoked bear attacks recorded since 1987 in which the victim required hospitalization involved a dog, Dave Garshelis, a bear research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told ABC News. None of those attacks were fatal, Garshelis said. M. Lorenz Photography via Getty Images Closeup portrait of a wild Black Bear Sow in Ontario. Often in those types of cases, the owner gets hurt when he or she tries to intercede in the scuffle, or the dog runs back to its owner for protection and "next thing you know the bear is 2 feet away," Garshelis said. Knowing what to do in the event that a dog encounters a bear is a "tough call" because the situations can be so unpredictable, Garshelis said. (MORE: Wildlife officials euthanize black bear cub after it became too friendly with humans) He suggested arming yourself with some type of weapon, such as a gun or big stick, "especially if the dog is running back to you for protection." In one of bear attacks that occurred in Minnesota, a person in the group bashed it over the head with a canoe paddle, he said. He suggested arming yourself with some type of weapon, such as a gun or big stick, "especially if the dog is running back to you for protection." In one of bear attacks that occurred in Minnesota, a person in the group bashed it over the head with a canoe paddle, he said. "That's the only thing you can do," he said. "The normal reaction for the bear would be to leave." Yelling or banging pots and pans may do the trick as well, Garshelis said, while Rogers advised using pepper spray to encourage bears to retreat. "They don't go away mad," Rogers said. "They just go away." M. Lorenz Photography via Getty Images Closeup of a wild Black Bear in Ontario, Canada. An article on the website for Orvis , a retail company that specializes in fishing, hunting and sporting goods, suggests that dog owners "quietly and quickly leave the area" if the bear has not spotted you, but if it has, to "keep your dog close and calm, avoiding sudden movements." Fatal black bear attacks on humans are so rare -- more so than any other species of bear -- that they occur on average of once per year across North America, Garshelis said. In addition, about one black bear out of 1 million will attack a human in a predatory manner, Rogers said. (MORE: California man bitten after kicking mama bear that attacked his dog, police say) The reason why the attacks by black bears seldom occur isn't because the bears stay away from humans, the experts said. In fact, they are often attracted to people's food sources or get used to the presence of humans. However, black bears are typically not aggressive and fear the "repercussions of attacking someone," Garshelis said. "They just don't want to attack people," Garsheilis said. "They're kind of timid animals." M. Lorenz Photography via Getty Images Wild Black Bear Sow in Ontario, Canada Black bears may have developed their apprehensive nature during the ice age, when they faced rivals such as saber-toothed cats, dire wolves in packs, huge American lions and the giant short-faced bear, the primitive species that weighed more than a ton, had powerful jaws and could run fast with it's long legs, Rogers said. "Black bears wouldn't have stood a chance against any of those," he said. "They developed an attitude of run first, ask questions later and stay by trees." (MORE: Bear attacks woman in her front yard, drags her 88 yards, officials say) During more than 50 years of studying bears, the only time Rogers ever got "nipped or slapped" was when he was trying to put a radio collar on a bear without using tranquilizers, which he found would cause them to lose trust and make them harder to observe in the long run, he said. In addition, most bears will run away from a dog that's chasing it, Garshelis said, while Rogers said bears are quite easy to drive away . "I've never found a bear that I couldn't chase," he said.

0429f2df-c487-4050-bb4e-bf6a97e73db2 < Back Protecting Cubs from Cold To warm the cubs, mothers tuck their cubs underneath them and breath on them with her head tucked under her chest. The cubs are not hibernating. Their job is to nurse, sleep, and grow quickly. Previous Next

22363732-cf89-4057-a7c1-79921af36867 The Wishing Bear (Kids Book) "This charming story about the bond between a mother black bear and her cub will delight readers of all ages. Jennifer Dziekan opens our hearts to black bears. Her charming illustrations and endearing text remind me of the care and concern I've seen wild black bear mothers give to their cubs." Lynn L. Rogers, Ph.D. Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center ~ Also contains facts about bears... Jennifer Dziekan January 1, 2006 26 Pages:

aa7e396f-2993-4745-be6c-31802f6196f5 Bears for Kids An introduction to bears focuses on their habitat, lifecycle, and behavior, and describes their interaction with humans Jeff Fair September 1, 1991 48 Pages:

BASIC BEAR FACTS For more information see www.bear.org What is the general description of a black bear? Black bears are 4 to 7 feet from nose to tail, 2 to 3 feet high at the shoulders, and have small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, a short tail, and light gray skin. Their fur is shaggy or sleek, depending upon the season. How do black bears physically compare to grizzly bears? Black bears average smaller than grizzly bears, have a smaller shoulder hump, and a less concave facial profile. Their claws are smaller and more tightly curved for climbing trees. Their fur is less shaggy. Their ears are longer, smoother, and more tapered. They have a furred rear instep, unlike the grizzly. Do black bears have a variety of fur colors? Black bears come in more colors than any other North American mammal. They are almost always black in eastern populations but are brown, cinnamon, black, or occasionally blond in western populations. Other color phases are white and bluish-gray as shown in the exhibit on color phases. How can you recognize an individual black bear? Here are some things to look for: -- the muzzle color and pattern of black, brown, and blond fur -- the shape and shade of brown of their eyebrow patches, if present -- the shape and extent of white chest patches, if present. These range from a few white hairs to conspicuous patches What are some unique characteristics of black bear cubs? Cubs’ blue eyes turn brown within a year. Brown patches on the front and back of their ears usually disappear within a year. How good is black bear vision? Bears see in color and have good vision close-up. Their distance vision (over two hundred yards) has not been tested. How well do black bears hear? Black bear hearing exceeds human frequency ranges and probably twice the sensitivity. How well do black bears smell? Their smelling ability is extremely good. The limits are untested. Their nasal mucosa area is about 100 times larger than in humans. How intelligent are black bears? Black bears have a large brain compared to body size. They are one of the more intelligent mammals. Their navigation ability superior to humans. They have excellent long-term memory and can generalize to the simple concept level. Do black bears make any vocalizations? Black bears are usually silent (except in movies in which sounds are dubbed in). They do make a variety of grunts in amiable situations, loud blowing noises when frightened and clack teeth when frightened. They use a resonant, humanlike “voice” to express a range of emotions from pleasure to fear. Black bears do not threaten by growling (except in movies). In story-telling, any sound a bear makes is called a growl. Can black bears swim? Black bears have good swimming ability. Speed and distance limits are untested. They can swim at least a mile and a half in fresh water. One bear swam more than 9 miles in the Gulf of Mexico. Bears can swim to island campsites. How fast can a black bear run? Lean bears can exceed 30 mph. Bears can run uphill, downhill, or on level ground. Fat bears in winter coats overheat and tire quickly. What time of day are black bears most active? Most bears become active a half-hour before sunrise, take a nap or two during the day, and bed down for the night an hour or two after sunset. However, some bears are active at night to avoid people or bears. What foods do black bears prefer? Black bears prefer nuts, acorns, fruit, insects, succulent greens. Meat and less succulent greens are eaten when preferred foods are scarce. A scarcity of preferred foods can result in failed reproduction, stunted growth, failure to add optimal amounts of fat, and death of young bears, especially cubs. Do black bears hibernate? When hibernation was defined simply in terms of temperature reduction, bears were not considered hibernators. New knowledge of hibernation processes has led biologists to redefine mammalian hibernation as simply a specialized, seasonal reduction of metabolism concurrent with the environmental pressures of scarce food and low ambient temperatures. Black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators. While it was once thought that they sleep for months without eating, drinking, urinating, or defecating, researchers have found through observing inconspicuously installed den cameras that bears do wake up, stretch, yawn, move about to find a corner of the den in which to urinate or defecate, chew on their footpads, eat snow, take a look outside the den entrance, etc. Black bears have insulative pelts and as a result, bears’ body heat is lost very slowly, enabling them to cut their metabolic rate in half and still make it through winter, maintaining temperatures above 88 degrees – within 12 degrees of their normal summer temperature. Mothers wake up before giving birth, typically in mid to late January, and take excellent care of the cubs in the den, licking them clean and responding to every cry for warmth and milk. How long do black bears hibernate? The length and depth of hibernation is genetically programmed to match the regional norms of food availability. Hibernation is deeper and can last over seven months in the northern portion of the black bear range where abundant, high quality food is available only from May through August. There, some bears hibernate so deeply, especially the leaner bears after a summer of unusually scarce food, that a person can jostle them for several minutes before they wake up. However, in southern states where food is available year-round, some do not hibernate at all, and those that do are easily aroused. Lean females cannot bring their fetuses to full term and do not give birth. How long do black bears live? Black bears can live 21-33 years or more if they are not killed. What are typical causes of death for black bears? Very few adult bears outside of national parks die of natural causes. Nearly all adult bears die from human-related causes. Most are eventually shot. A few are killed by vehicles. The average age of death in hunted populations is three to five years of age. Bears less than 17 months old sometimes die from starvation, predation, falls from trees, and other accidental causes. Very few die of disease. What size is a black bears home range? Typically: -- Yearlings: 1-2 miles. -- Adult females: 2-6 miles. -- Adult males: 8-15 miles. Excursions to 126 miles recorded. What is the ideal habitat for a black bear? Black bears like large forests with many different kinds of fruits and nuts. Small sunny openings within the forest provide many kinds of food for the bears. Lowlands and wetlands provide tender and juicy vegetation. Streams and woodland pools provide water for drinking and cooling. Mothers with cubs like large trees (over 20 inches in diameter) with furrowed bark (like white pines or hemlocks) for bedding sites. These trees are safest for small cubs to climb. Can we live with black bears? Many people are moving into black bear habitat. The bears’ future depends on how well we understand and tolerate them. Are black bears ferocious? Magazines and movies have given black bears an unrealistically ferocious image, causing people to fear them excessively and kill them unnecessarily. There are many misconceptions about black bears. What's the greatest misconception about black bears? The greatest misconception about black bears is that they are likely to attack people in defense of cubs. They are highly unlikely to do this. Black bear researchers often capture screaming cubs in the presence of bluff-charging mothers with no attacks. Is it dangerous to be around a black bear with cubs? Defense of cubs is a grizzly bear trait. About 70 percent of human deaths from grizzly bears are from mothers defending cubs, but (with one possible exception) black bear mothers have not been known to kill anyone in defense of cubs.

b9c4b86e-ab5a-436f-8c94-3788c51c8cf3 < Back Slide 69 of 83 < > The mother tried to stop them, and here is trying to pull one down. The cubs were okay though, and the mother led them to the nearest old white pine.

3595fd36-9b08-4484-bfd6-39332f0ba315 < Back Slide 8 of 83 < > In Minnesota, white pines have always been cut at unsustainable rates, and we've nearly lost our white pine forests and our white pine industry.

THE CHALLENGES OF GARDENING IN BEAR COUNTRY Planting Potted Plants and Flowers Living in black bear country is an amazing experience, but it can present challenges if you enjoy potted plants and flowers in your yard. You may have noticed that the curiosity factor of black bears, especially the younger ones, can be detrimental to the plants. After spending a lot of time observing bears, we have seen that they hone in on and “check out” anything that is different and new in their world (yes, our yards are part of their world). One long time Eagles Nest resident knew there had to be a peaceful resolution where she could have her flowers and still enjoy the sight of bears cruising through her yard. After many years and many trials she figured out a workable solution. Here it is: Two weeks or so before you are going to plant, put out empty planters and pots where you eventually want them to be with plants in them. In that two weeks, let the bears play with the empty planters. Since they will be the “new” and “fun” additions to your yard, it will most likely happen. Eventually, when they are no longer new and the fascination with them has worn off, they will ignore them. This is when you plant your flowers and the bears will have moved on to the next new curiosities in their world. Garden Hoses There is just something about a garden hose that black bears find irresistible. However after bear play they are less effective as a traditional hose and become more of a soaker hose. Bear teeth easily puncture standard rubber hoses. If you value your garden hoses stow them in a shed or garage after use. Bear at play with a garden hose Apr 17, 2019 Friendly Bear Becomes a Gardener Aug 20, 2021 The BearTeam will be testing variations of garden hoses which, while more expensive than a traditional garden hose, may hold up to bear handling. We'll let you know. Send us solutions that have worked for you! Perhaps you have found a solution that has helped you co-exist with black bears. Use our Contact Form to send us your ideas.

7d0ccb11-245d-42dd-99ab-e5b5a2a58936 < Back Slide 58 of 83 < > Eagle and osprey populations are still recovering from DDT pesticide problems and they'll need more and more white pines as they increase their breeding areas.