Hope went crazy with fun today. She got into a crazy bear mood we have seen with other bears and provided priceless video. Everyone was involved—Lily, Hope, and Faith. She even gave a nod to the camera Sue was holding. This may be the new video to go on the big-screen TV that people first see when they come into the North American Bear Center. Hope found a huge white pine log like we have never seen before. It had a rotten center; she hollowed it out and showed the same reaction to the wood chips that Lucky does when we put fresh cedar chips in the bear enclosure at the North American Bear Center. She was energetic, disappearing into the log and coming out and squirming on the rotten, crumbled wood she had pulled out. Then she’d run away and run back and crawl into the log again, exuberantly burning energy that she easily replenishes now that green-up is on. Then she spread the fun to raucous play with Lily and Faith. Faith would get roughed up and come back for more. Hope was relatively gentle with Faith. She let it all hang out with Lily, and vice versa. The log seemed to stimulate wild play.
Faith was a joy to watch. We don’t know where she gets her energy. She must be getting more milk than we think, even though Lily’s breasts are only a third to a half the size of June’s. She ran nimbly after Lily as Lily moved 1.7 miles today, and she climbed all the way to the top of a giant white pine over a hundred feet tall. So did Lily and Hope. Although Lily played with Hope and Faith, she was unusually up-tight today. She also was doing an unusual amount of scent-marking in an area we considered June’s territory. Is she usurping more of June’s territory? Was there another bear around? The future may answer these questions. Sue’s video of the family is some of the best.
Jo made her first big move with her cub today—1.2 miles. June moved more than usual, too, moving 0.6 miles and visiting her den as she passed by. Juliet and her yearlings moved the farthest, of course, 2.1 miles. Juliet dropped her radio-collar again, so it is a good thing we got a radio-collar on her yearling Shirley—who we assume is still with Juliet and the family. Family break-up is approaching.
Dana Coleman got the following response from Commissioner Landwehr. We don’t know what to make of it. It’s kind of a disappointment, actually.
May 10, 2011
Governor Dayton has asked me to respond on his behalf to your concerns about radio-collared bears in Minnesota. He thanks you for taking the time to write him directly.
We understand that many people are concerned about the potential loss of collared bears due to legal harvest during the bear hunting season. The DNR has reviewed this issue extensively and believes that new changes are not warranted. Past practice has been to advise hunters to refrain from shooting collared bears. While not a 100% deterrent, we believe this is the best approach.
The DNR will continue to affirm our position to discourage hunters from shooting collared bears. We will look for new opportunities to develop communication strategies to convey this goal, and have a very public effort.
State law provides a good framework for how to handle wildlife concerns, but it is silent on how we should treat radio-collared bears during hunting season. The best venue for this discussion is in the Legislature, and we hope to work with them to determine the need for any other change.
Thank you again for your letter, and please feel free to contact me again with any other concerns.
Best regards,
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner
Also from Dana Coleman, the link to show support for making the black bear Minnesota’s state mammal is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BlackBear-MNState-Mammal/. Anyone, anywhere, of all ages can sign it if you have a web address. You don’t have to be from Minnesota to sign it.
In the Readers Digest contest to win money for Ely, you still have Ely strongly in 6th place. The link to vote 10 times in a row each day through May 16 is http://wehearyouamerica.readersdigest.com/town.jsp?town=ELY&state=MN
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center