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22120a29-ec3b-4c71-881d-325d97041f44 < Back Slide 14 of 83 < > This continues even today.

85dddc86-7d02-4079-bf58-1dcddbb5cc44 Bear Viewing in Alaska: Expert Techniques for a Great Adventure With detailed descriptions of where to go for the world's best bear viewing (and how to behave once you get there), Bear Viewing in Alaska is an essential guide for anyone who plans to take part in one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the far north. Stephen F. Stringham PhD May 1, 2007 128 Pages:

182927fc-f8dd-4f4e-aff1-6df8e35cf747 BLACK BEAR DIET Wild Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis July, August Summer Wild sarsaparilla is an herbaceous, 12" to 24”, shade tolerant perennial plant that grows in moist to dry deciduous and mixed forests, thickets, river bottoms, bog and prairie edges. The wild sarsaparilla berries grow on a separate stalk under the leaves, are dark purple and are a black bear favorite. They ripen in the middle of the blueberry season, ripening in late July and lasting into early August. For the 2-3 weeks of wild sarsaparilla berries, bears hardly touch blueberries.

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

WILDLIFE REHAB FACILITIES Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities Wildwood Wildlife Rehabilitation 4009 W. Arrowhead Road Duluth MN 55811 www.wildwoodsrehab.org Phone 218-491-3604 Wild and Free 10033 Old Highway 18 Brainerd MN 56401 www.wildandfree.org Phone 320-692-5417 CALL Garrison Animal Hospital first Phone 320-692-4180 Wildlife Rehabilitation Center 2530 Dale Street North Roseville MN 55113 www.wrcmn.org Phone 651-486-9453 Wild Instincts 4621 Apperson Drive Rhinelander WI 54501 www.wildinstinctsrehab.com Phone 715-362-4953

a63142ed-4cf1-4d7f-83b9-fd1eeb6d988c Hornet Nest Remnants Bears feed on high fat/protein hornet brood.

2ead3ad6-eece-4485-a6e8-3e039beaeac7 BLACK BEAR DIET Downy Arrowwood Viburnum rafinesquianum August, September Summer A Medium sized shrub(3’ to 9’ tall) that commonly grows in NE Minnesota, often forming colonies. Grows in moist to dry upland forests in full sun to part sun to deep shade. The berry, which is eaten by black bears, is initially green becoming bluish-purple to purplish-black when ripe.

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.

August 17, 2020 More 'bear-human conflicts' in Minnesota due to natural food shortage If you're camping, pack some bear spray just in case. JOE NELSON AUG 17, 2020 Image by 272447 from Pixabay Bears in northeastern and north-central Minnesota are hungry and the result could be more encounters with humans. That's the word from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which announced Monday that a "shortage of natural foods is causing more bear-human conflicts" in those parts of the state. The DNR said bears are gravitating towards food sources at homes, cabins and campsites. Black bears are the only bear species in Minnesota, and while typically shy, the DNR warns that they can become "bolder" when natural food sources are in short supply. That's the case right now due to dry conditions in north-central and northeastern Minnesota. "If bears are in the area, let your neighbors, homeowners association or lake-owners association and fellow campers know about it so everybody keeps potential attractants away from bears," said Andrew Tri, a bear biologist with the DNR. "Together, we can reduce conflicts with bears and avoid teaching them bad habits." To help keep black bears away, people should remove food sources that attract them. Attractants include garbage, birdseed and food stored in coolers. “It’s important that folks be extra vigilant in keeping trash and birdseed away from bears to ensure they don’t get an easy meal from what people leave out," said Tri. The DNR advises that trash cans be locked inside a shed or garage, and metal dumpsters be locked shut. Bird feeders should be taken down until mid-November, and any seed spilled on the ground should be cleaned up. It takes just one person feeding birds to keep bears in the area, the DNR warns. Campers should keep food locked in vehicles or bear-resistant cases, properly dispose of all trash and to have bear spray on-hand just in case. And this probably doesn't need to be said, but the DNR also advises people to avoid approaching or trying to pet a bear. Again, don't try to pet a bear. Bring Me The News has requested more information from the DNR to find out if there have been any recent close encounters between bears and humans in northern Minnesota as a result of the food shortage.

ELECTRIC FENCING Using Simple Electric Fencing to Reduce Bear Conflicts The following information is a guide to help you get started with your electric fence project to help deter bears. Remember, we moved into the black bears back yard, and need to learn to co-exist with them. Installing electric fence is a fairly straight forward and simple home project. We can also provide guidance at no charge if you would like a home consult, you can contact the BEARTEAM. Use electric fence to protect: Bird (wildlife) Feeders Gardens Fruit Trees and beehives Chicken Coops, Food Sheds, Garbage Sheds, Garages Electrified gate springs protecting a garage. Electric fence to keep bears from climbing up on a shed roof. What is needed: Energizer (Alternating Current, Battery Powered, Solar) – at least 7,000 volts Wire, cord or netting (Aluminum, Steel, Braided) Posts (Fiberglass, Steel T Posts, Wood Posts) Insulators Grounding rod or rods Gate hardware if an opening, door or gate is required Insulated Wire for jumping or bridging where you don’t want shocks Wire Clamps for grounding rods and jump wires Voltage tester Safety – Electric fences have a good bite if you touch them accidentally but are safe and should not produce injury. Put some flag tape on fencing to let others know that they are there. Installing – Keep it simple and read the instructions completely that come with the Energizer. Make sure that the fencing doesn’t short out on tall grass, tree branches, posts or building surfaces. Where to buy electric fence components in Northeastern, MN: L&M Supply – Virginia, MN Tractor Supply – Virginia, MN Fleet Farm – Brainerd, MN Big Box Hardware stores like Menards, Home Depot, or Lowes may have parts Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIRMavnahE – How to install electric fencing for bears – Gillian Sanders, 9 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shoUmDQPjnM – How to set up an electric fence – Tractor Supply, 2 minutes Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has a pretty comprehensive document “Deterring Bears with Electrified Fencing: A Beginners Guide” that you can access and download if you want – there is some dated information in it but it is quite extensive and about 17 pages long and an overall good resource - Deterring Bears with Electrified Fencing: A beginner’s guide Google for other YouTube videos, there are many and can be specific like solar installation etc.

2ca120bc-7d6a-4bbc-b7c3-e800a85159e4 Bears: Majestic Creatures of the Wild An illustrated celebration of bears examines the different species that exist, and discusses such issues as biology, environmental concerns, and patterns of life. Ian Stirling and David Kirschner August 1, 1993 240 Pages:

8b1cf46a-f11f-44d6-bff4-482c5786021b < Back Pounce and slap = nervous uncertainty When a bear is uncertain, it often lunges toward the possible danger, slaps the ground or a tree, and blows. It’s just part of assessing whether to run or stay.