The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources want to learn more about black bear in the state.
They’re asking people to report the locations of any black bear dens.
The information will help with a study on black bear reproduction.
The Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey will produce new estimates of black bear reproductive rates within each bear management zone.
That will help improve the accuracy of the population models.
“It is important for the study that we get collars out in each of the bear management zones," said Dr. Jennifer Price Tack, DNR large carnivore and elk research scientist. "This will allow us to better inform bear population estimates for each zone, which in turn support management decision making."
The study will be entering its fourth year of surveying occupied dens in the Wisconsin bear range.
Information like GPS coordinates, a photo of the den and its surroundings, a description of the site and information on bear activity would be helpful.
DNR staff will collect biological data from these dens, including sex, age, weight and body measurements. Mother bears, or sows, will be outfitted with a GPS collar, one of the most important pieces for collecting data.
The Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey team will continue to survey dens for the next four to five years. Over that time, the team hopes to get 100 collars out across the bear management zones, with approximately 20 collars per zone.
To report a known black bear den, visit the DNR’s black bear den submission form.
