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0bff8397-8b0f-4e9e-8944-85e83847b41c < Back Fecal Plug As one of these yearlings makes the suckling sound, the mother is eating a yearling’s fecal plug that rolled back into the den after the yearling backed to the entrance to defecate. Fecal plugs are mainly cells that slough off the digestive tract during hibernation and build up in the colon. Previous Next

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.

f5442e5f-6b61-4f03-82c6-06e9b0ce5352 BLACK BEAR DIET Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium July, August Summer A perennial native shrub that grows 6 inches to 2 feet tall, that yields a delicious blue berry loved by black bears. The fruit ripens starting in mid- to late July and continuing through August.

a2ad3fdd-a92c-4401-92ae-a5c982f6e8d7 Tree Bites and Scratches Black bears bite trees to leave messages for other bears so they tend to be in conspicuous locations.

d8022a07-8eb3-433d-af1d-01e6aca2b3e0 < Back Slide 25 of 83 < > Fluffy aspen seeds that can blow for miles started the northwoods of today, a forest that is often too dense for young white pines to survive.

7dbe9d27-43db-4205-a130-e207af646009 < Back Slide 43 of 83 < > But in many places, white pines will need special help to overcome the problems people created. In some parts of Minnesota, foresters are beginning to give white pines that help.

90a07aad-1356-4bc4-860a-50e952282dd6 Grizzly Seasons: Life with the Brown Bears of Kamchatka Charlie Russell and Maureen Enns spent six summers in the remote wilderness of Kamchatka, Russia: home to the world's densest population of brown bears. Grizzly Seasons tells the story of three bear cubs -- Chico, Biscuit and Rosie -- rescued from a zoo and reintroduced to the wild by Russell and Enns. The account traces the bear's development from dependant cubs to independent creatures of the wilderness. Graced with more than 150 beautiful color photographs, including majestic aerial views, Grizzly Seasons closely follows the bears -- and the authors -- through six years of developing a self-sustaining, mutually-respectful relationship of trust. Charlie Russell and Maureen Enns October 4, 2003 160 Pages:

BEARS AND DOGS Staying safe with man's best friend Walk dogs on a non-retractable leash and be aware of your surroundings. Dogs can trigger defensive behaviors from bears. Carry bear or pepper spray and know how to use it. Although a bear attack is very rare, bear attacks often involve dogs off leash in a rural setting. Dr. Stephen Herrero, Professor Emeritus University of Calgary, a highly respected bear researcher with over 40 years of experience and a particular focus on Bear Attacks Their Causes & Avoidance (title of his book on the subject), along with his colleagues, just concluded a 3 year study of 92 Black Bear attacks across North America. The study determined that over half of these studied bear attacks involved a dog off leash. (Human Bear Conflicts - International Bear News Spring 2014, vol. 23 no. 1 ) An unleashed dog in the open will most often create an avoidable encounter which can result in injury to the dog & its owner. (https://wiseaboutbears.org/about-us/bear-attacks-2/ ) The Minnesota DNR states that since 1987, there have been eight unprovoked bear attacks in Minnesota that resulted in hospitalization. In three cases, the bears chased dogs that were not leashed. Bears perceive dogs as a threat, and dogs being chased often come back to their owner with the bear at heel. (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/encounters.html ) Visit BearWise.org for ways to be safe with your canine in bear country https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/dogs-and-bears/

cc18bfd4-df47-4efc-b2ae-650639295b3c SLOTH BEAR Back General Description: Sloth bears have a long shaggy, black coat with a white or yellow V shaped marking on their chest. Distribution: Sloth bears are found in Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan and Nepal. Habitat: Sloth bears are found in forested and grassland regions. Diet: Sloth bears feed mainly on termites and ants but also fruits, berries, grasses, seed pods, flowers, yams, eggs, honey, insect larvae, and other insects. Population: Fewer than 20,000 Length: 5 to 6 feet Height: 2.5 to 3 feet Weight: Males: 175 to 300 pounds, Females: 140 to 250 pounds Geographic Range

a39daab5-5050-457e-ac0b-17fd671e4976 < Back Slide 1 of 83 < > Minnesota's White Pines

7161d661-47cd-4cbb-90c8-243b4b8fbddf The Bear Family and Me In this absorbing series, renowned wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan learns how to “walk with bears” with Lynn Rogers, a pioneering biologist, to get as close as can be to these often fearsome beasts. Over the course of a year, the pair follow cheeky young bear Lily, her mother June and their new cubs as they emerge from hibernation in the Minnesota Northwoods. The rewards are huge as Gordon gains the trust of Lily and June and captures the emerging personalities of individual cubs to give a captivating insight into the life of the black bear. January 3, 2011 Pages: