Spring - Summer 2010

Sue Mansfield, MS

Course description: Courses emphasize daily close-up observation of wild bears to learn their vocalizations, body language, social organization, ecology, and how people can better coexist with bears. The small class size (8) maximizes individual opportunities to participate in close-up black bear research with Lynn Rogers, Ph.D., as seen on the Animal Planet documentary "The Man Who Walks With Bears" and the upcoming BBC documentary 'Bearwalker of the Northwoods.'  Daily discussions and slide presentations amplify the information learned directly from the bears.

Participants include anyone interested in bears. These workshops are life-changing for anyone who fears bears, unforgettable for people who appreciate bears, and essential for professionals who deal with bear issues. Click here for Participants' Comments.

Lynn Rogers, Ph.D., has conducted field research on bears since 1967 and will lead most of the field excursions. Click here for his curriculum vitae. Sue Mansfield recently completed her Master's through Antioch University New England and has been conducting field work with Dr. Rogers since 2001. She knows the kinship relations among the 50+ bears in the study area and knows each bear's individual personality. She monitors the movements of a radio-collared clan (10-12 individuals plus cubs) and frequently accompanies trusting individuals for 10-12 hours at a time to learn details of their lives. An expert on wildlife sign and a contributor to the book "Mammal Tracks and Sign: A Guide to North American Species," Sue will show us bear sign and describe how it was made. Sue also knows many of the birds and plants in the area. She handles registration, answers questions (603-209-6294), and strives to make everyone happy and well cared for.

Courses are conducted at the Northwoods Research Center and surrounding forest west of Ely, Minnesota. Each course begins on Sunday at 4 PM and ends on Wednesday at 10 AM.

Course Fee: $1500 ($1400 tax deductible). The fee includes course materials, certificate of completion, a receipt for the tax-deductible portion of the fee, and lodging and meals at Northwoods Research Center. The fee goes to the nonprofit (501(c)(3)) Wildlife Research Institute. The deductible $1400 is the portion beyond actual expenses and is considered a donation to further our research and education program. 

To Register: Call Sue Mansfield at (603) 209-6294 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to check availability and ask any questions. A non-refundable (tax deductible) deposit of $750 reserves your place, provided the remaining non-refundable $750 ($650 of it is tax deductible) is paid 2 months prior to the course. People tend to schedule their courses many months in advance to secure preferred dates, get the best airline prices, and schedule time off from work.

Accommodations: Accommodations include a set of bunk beds on the first floor, a set of bunk beds on the second floor, and 2 sets of bunk beds on the third floor as well as a full size futon couch which can be used as a bed. There is also a queen-size hide-a-bed couch and a futon couch in the living room. There are 3 bathrooms (2 with showers). Click here to see photos of the Northwoods Research Center.

Before Arriving: We will email you a questionnaire to learn your food preferences (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore) and special needs. Sue Mansfield (603-209-6294) will answer your questions, address your concerns, send directions, and help you hook up with other participants to share transportations from the airports. A word of advice: if you tell people what you will be doing here, they give you many warnings. Take lots of pictures while you are here so you can show them how things really are.

What to Bring: We will let you know typical conditions and what foot-wear and clothing to bring. Actually, nothing really special is needed. We have extra jackets and rain gear, extra film, video tapes, and batteries, and even an extra camera. If you forget something, Ely is only 15 miles down the highway with supermarkets, outfitters, drug stores, photo stores, vehicle repair, entertainment, hospital, etc.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (We keep the schedule flexible to take advantage of research and observational opportunities as they arise.)

Sunday, day one:

Arrive at 4 PM.  Introductions.  Getting settled in.  During dinner, each person shares a little of his or her background and what he or she hopes to get out of the course. 

After dinner, we'll talk about some of the bears we will meet and the do's and don't's of bear interactions.  We'll hear a five minute tape of 8 common bear vocalizations and learn that most bear expressions are misinterpreted as ferocious when they are simply expressions of the bears' nervousness.

Observe bears.    

Monday, day two:

Sun-up to 8:30 AM.  Coffee is on.  Breakfast is available.  Sleep in, talk to other participants around the breakfast table, hike the trails, or quietly canoe on either of the the two lakes adjacent to the facility.  Three canoes are ready with paddles.  Other optional activities are listed below.

9:00 AM Lynn's slide-video program exploring our fears about bears and learning about bear behavior, communication, etc.   Talk about what we will do this day.

10:30 AM.  Grab some fruit, drinks, and snacks and head out to home in on a radio-collared bear with cubs and observe them close-up.  Rogers will make sure interactions are safe.  Look for the behaviors we learned about in the morning slide-video program.  Ask any questions you want about bear behavior, social organization, hibernation, physiology, reproduction, ecology, how to coexist, and what the bear is expressing with its behavior.  If you'd like, we can help photograph you in action so you can prove you were really here with the bears.        

12:30 or 1 PM.  Back to the Research Center for lunch.

After lunch.  Many people are tired this first afternoon after traveling yesterday and hiking today.  Use this period to take a nap, make a quick run into Ely, observe the bears and other wildlife around the Research Center, or watch videos of bear behavior.

3:00 PM.  Squeeze together in the 8-passenger Van and hike in on another radio-collared mother with cubs.  Contrast their personalities and actions with the bear(s) of the morning.    

5:30 PM.  Back to the Research Center for supper.

After supper.  Observations and interactions with bears often continue until after midnight.  Watch bears interact with each other, chase each other, play with each other, and react to other wildlife like flying squirrels, raccoons, pine martens, fishers, red squirrels, chipmunks, and occasionally wolves, coyotes, and foxes.  At the same time, videos are running in the living room showing bear behavior, care of cubs, foraging techniques, and interactions among bears.  Or retire to your room to catch up on sleep and get ready for tomorrow.  

Tuesday, day three:

Similar to Day Two, but people are becoming more experienced and comfortable with the individual bears.  Group members are getting to know each other. 

Sun-up to 8:30 AM.  Breakfast and optional activities as on Day Two.  By now, people realize how timid the bears are and are more comfortable hiking the forest roads and bear trails.  People are also more familiar with the kitchen and are more comfortable getting orange juice, yogurt, milk, soymilk, and fruit.

9:00 AM.  Lynn's slide-video presentation on bear ecology, physiology, social organization, and reproduction.

10:30 AM.   Home in on a radio-collared bear family as on Day Two. 

12:30 or 1 PM.  Back to the Research Center for lunch.

After lunch.  Join Sue Mansfield, an expert tracker, for a walk in the woods to interpret bear sign.  Sue is an experienced instructor in wildlife sign and completed her master's degree walking and sleeping with the research bears.  She probably will have watched the bears make much of the sign she will show you.

5:30 PM.  Back to the Research Center for supper.

After supper.  Intensive bear-viewing to observe interactions, vocalizations, body language, personalities, timidness, and the kinds of memorable situations that keep people coming back again and again.   Every day is different and unpredictable as we find new bears doing new things.  By this time, people are into the rhythm of seeing bears and being totally taken care of.  Participants are beginning to realize the extent of the misconceptions held by the public and anyone who has not actually spent time with bears.  Discussion begins to focus on what each of us can do to help educate people.   

Wednesday, day four:

Breakfast.  Packing.  Presentation of certificates and receipts for tax deductible portions of the fee.  Group pictures.  Participants exchange contact information and talk about coming back for more northwoods magic.  Looking at maps for the most scenic route to the airport or to the regional attractions listed below.  

Back Home:

Missing the worry-free environment, the bears, the quiet forest, the good food, the rich diversity of wildlife, and the people who shared the adventures.   Making prints of pictures to show unbelieving friends experiences no one thought you would survive.  Wondering if the bears will remember you next year.  

Optional Activities during private time:

• Catch up on sleep after watching bears until midnight. 
• Explore the private roads and trails to see wildlife.  The property has an unusually high diversity of birds because of the local mixture of habitats.  Nesting warblers include Mourning, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped, Blackburnian, Parula, Pine, Tennessee, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville, Black-throated Green, Yellow, Cape May, Canada, Connecticut, Redstart, Black and White, and Northern Waterthrush. 
• Use the three canoes on Woods Lake and Eagles Nest Lake to quietly observe wildlife along the shore.  Woods Lake is a private lake for us.  Eagles Nest Lake usually has no one using it other than us.  Birds and mammals are less wary of people in canoes.  Each lake is a stone's throw from the Research Center and is home to loons, eagles, ospreys, gulls, herons, ducks, songbirds, frogs, turtles, and more.  Audio CD's are available to help identify bird calls and frog sounds.        
• Take a sight-seeing flight (not part of the course).  A float plane is available on this lake (Eagles Nest Lake One) for a 20-minute sight-seeing flight.  Cost is $45 per person , minimun of $90 per flight, max of 5 passengers per flight.  The pilot knows the best places, or you can tell him what you want to see.    

Possibilities:

• Weather permitting, we may have lunch on the pontoon boat on Eagles Nest Lake for an hour as we move slowly and quietly among the islands or drift quietly watching loon parents feed their chicks on the water.  The 24-foot boat is a steady platform for viewing and photography.  
• If the weather becomes unbearably hot, we can cool off a couple hours with a pontoon boat ride on beautiful Eagles Nest Lake.  If anyone wants to, we can anchor near an island to spend a few minutes swimming with loons or snorkeling with walleyes, bass, pike, and bluegills.         

Before or after the course:

• The Ely area is one of the top tourist destination areas in North America - and July and August are the top months for exploring the area.  Charles Kuralt lists Ely as one of his 12 favorite places in his book Charles Kuralt's America (1996).  National Geographic Adventure Magazine lists Ely as one of six Outdoor Meccas (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/relocating/ely-minnesota.html).  See more at http://www.ely.org/discover_ely/adventurers.php or contact the Ely Chamber of Commerce ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 218-365-6123) for more information.
• The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)  is ranked by National Geographic Traveler Magazine as one of the world's top 50 places of a lifetime and is the top draw for the Ely area.  Local outfitters will set up about any kind of adventure you want.  They can fly you in to beautiful wilderness lakes and set you up with food, canoes, camping equipment, and fishing equipment.  They can fully outfit you to drive your rental car to BWCAW entry points to explore the wilderness by canoe for a few hours, or you can camp for several days.  For more information, contact the Ely Chamber of Commerce at 218-365-6123 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• For more leisurely adventure, stay at a local motel or bed and breakfast and explore the many back-roads (like the Echo Trail) with your rental car.  Or drive six miles out of town on the Echo Trail and hike the beautiful Bass Lake Hiking Trail.  Rent a bicycle and bike the forest bicycle trails in the area.  Shop the stores within a few blocks of the downtown motels or bed and breakfasts.  Eat at the many restaurants.  And of course visit the North American Bear Center and the International Wolf Center, each within a mile of downtown Ely.
• Stay at a local resort on a beautiful lake and use their motorboats, pontoon boats, or canoes to fish for walleyes, northern pike, small-mouth bass, or bluegills.  Fish one of the trout streams.  Many of the resort operators or outfitters can provide one-day fishing licenses as well as fishing equipment.
• Tour the Soudan Mine a mile underground.  For more information on that, see http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/soudan_underground_mine/programs.html.
• Soudan Mine after hours has an unadvertised attraction of bats emerging at dusk and trying to reach the forest without being caught by raptors.  A merlin puts on an impressive flight display catching the bats.  Owls take over after dark.  The area between the mine entrance and the forest is lighted with flood lights.  Bat numbers peak in late summer.
• Ely's unique shops include Wintergreen Winter Wear, Steger Mukluks, Piragis Northwoods Store, Mostly Moose Gift Store, and Canadian Waters Outfitters.
• Bearhead Lake State Park, 15 minutes away, is a beautiful place to camp and hike.
• Fortune Bay Casino, a half hour away, has a big buffet dinner.

• Scenic 20-mile drive with waterfalls along the rocky north shore of Lake Superior.
• Camping and hiking in Tettegouche State Park near Lake Superior.  Special attraction: beautiful hardwood forest with wildlife.
• Camping and hiking in Gooseberry Falls State Park near Lake Superior.  Special attraction: a spectacular waterfall with swimming in the pool below it.
• Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth.  Special attractions:  many exhibits and huge aquariums where you can throw food and watch salmon and trout churn the water as they compete.
• Omnimax Theatre (next to the Aquarium) in Duluth.
• Black Bear Casino next to Highway 35 near Cloquet south of Duluth. Special attraction: big buffet dinner.
• Camping and hiking in beautiful Jay Cooke State Park with its rock outcrops and forests south of Duluth.

Attractions in Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota:

• James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota on the corner of Church Street and University Avenue in Minneapolis.
• Science Museum of Minnesota in St Paul.
• Como Zoo in St Paul.
• Minnesota Zoo just south of Minneapolis in Apple Valley.
• Mall of America just south of Minneapolis in Bloomington near the Minneapolis/St Paul Airport.  The Mall of America is one of America's top tourist destinations.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What poisonous snakes and poisonous spiders will we encounter? None.  No rattlesnakes, copperheads, coral snakes, brown recluse spiders, or black widows.
• What about poisonous plants? Poison ivy is the only poisonous plant anywhere in the study area and it is so rare we won't see any.
• What about ticks? We're safe on ticks.  We have never seen a deer tick, the kind that carries lyme disease.  The only ticks we might see are relatively harmless dog ticks.
• Does the price include meals and lodging? Yes.  We buy the best food available.  We buy organic whenever we can, and we get the special high omega 3 eggs.
• What kind of food will we have? We try to have the foods you are used to.  Email your preferences to Sue Mansfield at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We have fruit out in bowls--also veggie trays, crackers, cheese, candy bars, granola bars, pop, and water.  We no longer provide bottled water, but we have excellent tap water from our 168-foot deep well.  We plan healthy meals with vegetarian and non-vegetarian preferences in mind.  Lynn is into low carbs and high omega 3, so we plan for that, too.
• Which airport should we use? Duluth Airport is about an hour and a half away, but it often saves money and time to fly into the Mpls/St Paul airport and rent a car and drive four hours.  Participants often coordinate airplane schedules so they can hook up and carpool.  We share contact information among members of your group to help you communicate and coordinate schedules.
• How do we find the bears? We home in on their radio signals first from a vehicle and then when we have driven as close as we can, we walk into the woods and home in on them until we find them.
• How far will we walk in the woods? Most of the time it is less than a half mile in and less than a half mile out.  Hikes like that are most common in the April, May, and June courses.   This doesn't sound very far, but it seems farther off trail in the woods.  In July and August, many of the bears come to us.
• Will the bears know Lynn? Yes, but some are more shy than others.
• How old is the oldest bear in the study? Shadow will be 20 in January 2010 and we expect she will have cubs.  She is the matriarch of the clan we are studying.
• How many radio-collared bears are being studied? Nine to fifteen, depending upon the season.
• Are there grizzlies in Minnesota? No, only nice black bears.
• Will we will actually touch bears? Yes, you may touch some of the bears of you wish.
• How are the bears with a stranger? Slightly more wary than with Lynn, but visitors act like Lynn so they don't scare the bears away.
• Will Lynn tell us what we need to know before we go out? Yes.
• Is it safe? Lynn has never had a bear come after him and hurt him in 41 years of pushing the envelope to extremes, including catching screaming cubs in front of their mothers.
• Is it really like 'Gorillas in the Mist'? Pretty much.
• Can we sit with wild bears? Yes.
• Will we see little babies? We will see cubs!
• Will the babies come up to us? Maybe.  Some of the yearlings should do that, but newborn cubs can be shy.  It usually takes newborn cubs until July or August to dare to do that.