Doe eating leavesMike Johnson and Lorie Kennedy were successful again today, connecting with June and then Aster to swap out GPS units. They had given June a new one just yesterday, but it sent only 7 readings before quitting. June is now back on the map, but we wait for Aster’s unit to kick in with some readings. Here’s hoping!
After successfully locating two bears, they went for a third—Lily. Instead of a bear, they found a river and stopped—claiming they couldn’t get the electronic equipment wet. Let’s hope Lily is more accessible by tomorrow for another try. These folks accomplish so much. We are totally thankful.
JuneNear Shell Lake, Wisconsin, today, a man was attacked by a bear and is in stable condition in a Twin Cities Hospital. From the news release at http://www.startribune.com/local/212010841.html, it sounds like the common story of a dog initiating the contact and the ensuing fracas spreading to a person. Dogs on a leash seem to be no problem. Bears can avoid them.
AsterDaily hikers we have interviewed in the study area have seen few bears and had no problems in many years of hiking. One couple hiked about 5 miles daily for decades in this area where bears have lost some of their fear of people through feeding and seeing many hikers. Did that make them dangerous? No. Actually, why would it? If they have lost some of their fear of people, they would feel less defensive, not scared and defensive like the bear probably felt that wounded the man today.
Even bears that have seen a lot of people around here avoid them in the woods. They know where they expect to see people and how those people are supposed to behave. If anything is awry, the bears become shy. In the woods, we don’t know how many times we’ve been with a bear, a person appears, and the bear runs.
Where's Aster?Our favorite story along that line is big Shylow who was surrounded by people in a yard. People were feeding and touching him. Not a problem. Everything was as he expected. The people were in the right area. Shrill, loud voices in his ears were just safe human noises. Then someone came quietly up over a hill on the driveway some 250 feet away. Through the people, the motion caught his eye. He looked and tensed. The human was out of place. He turned and bolted through the people and disappeared for days.
Out the window, deer are shedding, just as bears are now. This doe has shed the light-colored long fur from its head and most of its neck, but a little still remains on the neck.
Deer fawns are up and running now, making them safe from bears. Average birth date around here is about June 1. They attempt to escape predators for their first 10 days or so by lying still. After that, they get up and run, and bears just ignore them. Wolves and coyotes still have a chance then, though. There are many deer in the area.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.