WolfTrack Sled Dog Race superimposed on the WRI study area It was exciting to watch the WolfTrack Classic sled dog teams move across the map online. We weren’t sure how well the GPS units would acquire and transmit readings on a bouncing dog sled, but they did well. The nine teams transmitted 19 – 32 locations each for a total of 252 data points. Last night I said the race would go through the study area. This picture shows the various 2013 territories of the study bears and all 252 locations from today’s race. The territory data was collected with the very same GPS units the sled dog teams used.
2nd place finisher Bill Wehseler of Tofte, MNThis project was the brainstorm of Jim Stroner who spent the weekend photographing the teams. The WolfTrack organizers and the mushers thought it was very cool and definitely want to do it again. One musher’s family wants him to buy a unit and carry it during all his races so they can watch him online. The race ended in Cook where a group of people was gathered around an iPad watching the race as the teams neared.
Cubs playing behind curtain of iciclesLynn predicted the cubs’ eyes would be open by the time he returned and he was right. I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen when we kept seeing one-eyed cubs, but both cubs now seem to have both eyes open. And (drumroll please…) the cubs have begun to play as you will see in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA08ZbixYro. The behavioral observations will only get better from here on. It was worth putting up with that wall for so long while the cubs were tiny.
Cubs with eyes open!The camera 
Cub with both eyes open!is in a better position to see over any wall that Lily might build, but the camera tube is growing icicles and the count is up to 5 at the moment. They’ve caught Lily’s interest, so maybe she’ll help us by removing them. We’ve gone from a wall to a curtain, but at least the curtain does something. It drips. There will be more dripping this week. Warm weather is predicted.
Lynn and Donna Rogers are in Minnesota and driving north from Minneapolis/St. Paul at this time. We’re anxious to hear about their trip. Welcome home Lynn and Donna!
Thank you for all you do.
—Sue Mansfield, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All pictures taken today unless otherwise noted.