This opening day of bear season is over and Lily, Hope, Faith, June, Juliet, Jo, Braveheart, Ursula, Shirley, and Sharon are okay. We haven’t seen a hunter, although we heard distant shots. We and 7 radio-tracking volunteers gathered at 5 AM to begin monitoring these bears from roads and be available to answer questions from any hunters encountered.
At the other end of the study area, the rest of the team was gathering to monitor Cookie, Dot, Donna, Star, and Colleen. At this point, all are accounted for except Cookie, who is probably just pulling her disappearing act like she did earlier this summer. We know the direction she was heading, so we can concentrate in that direction when we fly again.
At lunch time we all gathered back at the research cabin and wondered what we could eat. Food showed up from you! A Lily fan ordered a big pot of Grand Ely Lodge’s famous wild rice soup. We knew we were not alone. Thank you so much!
The drought is wilting leaves on trees and bushes as well as shriveling the berries. Leaves are turning yellow prematurely. Compare the picture taken today of wilted round-leafed dogwood (left) with one taken years ago of healthy round-leaf dogwood (right). The lack of food will drive many bears to hunters’ baits but hopefully not the radio-collared bears. If they do visit baits, we pray that hunters will see the ribbons and bright plastic and respect the research and educational value of these bears.
We saw a better version of the interview about aggressive Ely bears online at http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/video/Ely-Residents--128712018.html .
We wonder what ‘aggressive’ actually means. Does a bear have to be fierce? Does it have to threaten someone? Or does it just have to venture close to a person or vehicle?
Another story of a bear that ventured close to someone was in the news today at http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/208186/ . This bear was 69 miles south of our study area, so there was no way research bears could be blamed. Was this bear as aggressive as the 2 radio-collared bears that ventured close to vehicles? In this case, a man sitting in his back yard tried to slap what he thought was a mosquito on the back of his head. He hit a bear in the nose. The bear backed away, stood up about 7 feet tall, sniffed the man again as the man sat perfectly still, and left. We can imagine what would be said about research bears if that had happened here.
Along the lines of Education Outreach, Dana Coleman was interviewed on WCCO-Radio at http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd0%2FdY%2FdJ%2FdK%2FdC%2FYJKC_3.MP3%3Fauthtok%3D5561548947241432009_mLEdItpoSFTluCeFEsz8uVgTuSI&podcast_name=8-29+-+HINESight+-+9+PM&podcast_artist=John+Hines&station_id=82&tag=hinesight&dcid=CBS.MINN . Twenty-two minutes and 9 seconds into the program they interview Dana for 11 minutes about how her first graders are working to make the black bear Minnesota’s state mammal.
Also today, Dana extended an invitation to DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr and Fish and Wildlife Head Ed Boggess to visit her first grade class this fall.
In the voting for Soudan Underground Mine State Park, you have us solidly in 2nd place to win them $50,000 at http://m.livepositively.com/park_details.jsp?parkId=556 with 5 days to go. We are a very impressive 997,391 votes ahead of 3rd place with 5 days to go.
We and the team of volunteers will be out again tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM radio-tracking the bears and feeling the support of Lily fans.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center