Faith looks right This morning, Sue took the course participants out for a session on ‘bear sign,’ then it was back to the Research Center for group pictures and goodbyes. Another course comes to an end, but the friendships forged and contacts made during the course will endure.
Meanwhile, Lori managed to track down Faith and swap out her GPS unit—Yes! Faith lay down to eat the nuts and let the GPS unit be swapped, but she kept whipping her head around to check for danger on this windy day.
Faith looks leftThen Lorie attempted to build on this success by heading out to locate Lily and get her back on the map as well. Soon, Lorie called to say she had stopped to take a telemetry reading and couldn’t get the Tahoe started again. We went to help and found it needed more than a jump so called for a tow truck. Lynn passed the time waiting for a tow by photographing a long-horned wood-boring beetle—the kind you hear the larvae chewing inside trees. There are many species of these, so if anyone can identify it, we’d like to know.
Lynn photographing beetleMostly we want to say thank you for the messages that are coming in from groups across the country and the support you have shown through the legal fund. With many thanks, we will have legal representation at the meeting with the governor and the commissioner on the 22nd. We very much hope we can come to agreement without wasting too much money and time. We’d rather be doing research, publishing, and making the new addition all it can be.
Long-horned wood boring beetleThe bear scene continues to be quiet. We’re asking everyone we see if they know of any bear problems. None. The good food crops came in the right year. The DNR picked an unlikely year to make their case about nuisance problems and public safety. In this year of bounty, they are clearly demonstrating their preference for wild foods!
We don’t want to bully the DNR with letters. We are asking nicely for cooperation and fairness. The bears are doing their part. We will do our part. And we hope the DNR does the same. The day after the meeting, we’ll know the course to take.
A video of June and cubs nursing and foraging taken by Jim Stroner on June 28, 2013 is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWJ3_oOhcjU.
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.