An Afternoon With Ursus Americanus

It began as a typical summer afternoon. The planned hike was quite short compared to my usual adventures, but the harsh sunlight made me relish the protection of intermittent tree canopies. My destination was a waterfall, but the highlights were to be found off-trail.

The trail followed a creek upstream through a winding valley. Below the trail on the south-facing slope, vegetation was dense and berry-bearing bushes were plentiful. This is excellent bear habitat, but it is easy to become complacent after many hikes without bear sightings. The only signs of wildlife, other than insects, were various tracks across the damp sections of trail.

Little more than 15 minutes from my destination, I looked across the valley as I rounded a corner and noticed an unusual object around 500 ft away. At that distance, it was difficult to identify the golden object under intense sunlight. Suddenly, the round object moved! A blond black bear ambled through steep ground and shrubs, seemingly unaware of my presence.

 

Immediately, I raised my camera and started to shoot, using the medium telephoto lens to get a better view of the magnificent creature. Within around 20 seconds, the bear had disappeared into dense foliage.

After reaching my destination and relaxing by a high country waterfall, I made my way back down the trail. My thoughts were of the bear, and I wondered if I would catch another glimpse (perhaps a little closer). I looked intently at the opposite side of the valley as I passed the location of the sighting, but the bear was either still hidden or had moved to a new spot in the time that I had been away.

I made my way along the undulating trail, checking my surroundings for movement from time to time. Occasionally, the ripe northern gooseberries were too tempting to resist, and they made a sweet distraction from the still-intense sunlight.

Around an hour passed until I saw a large, dark object to my left. Much close than last time, a different black bear was foraging. Darker than the last one, but seemingly unaware of my presence again, the bear wandered through grass and shrubs in the lush vegetation near the stream. Perhaps 100 ft uphill, a nearby mule deer seemed to sense the bear's presence and changed direction. The bear moved quite slowly, and so I had the chance to observe from a safe distance.

The noise of the stream helped to hide any sounds that I made, so I could experience this rare treat without interruption. Despite his or her size and bulky shape, the bear moved with ease though rough terrain and vegetation, using a very sensitive nose and dextrous paws to search for food.
 
As I prepared to leave, I exchanged glances with a Native American symbol of strength and courage. After just a few seconds, the bear returned to foraging, and I continued along the trail.

Black bears are facing ever-increasing human encroachment on their habitats. These great animals are worthy of our respect. They are not the killers shown in movies, but they are wild animals that play an important part in the ecosystems of the North American wilderness.

FromTheHighCountry.com

Wildlife Conflict

It is an unfortunate fact of life that where people choose to live, there are often problems with wildlife. Perhaps the local deer take a liking to flower beds or cross the road just as people drive by, or maybe a bear tears open a bag of trash. When people and wildlife meet, it is up to us to adapt. After all, it's a small price to pay for living away from the cities and suburbs, and we can hardly negotiate with nature! We have to keep attractants away from the bears, and either sacrifice a few flowers or protect them with wire.

Last year, at least five bears were killed in the small town of Lake City, Colorado. Each case was different, but many would agree that fear and ignorance were common factors. With a year-round population of around 400, that would mean that roughly one bear died for every 80 residents. I wonder if the many wildlife lovers who visit would feel comfortable with those figures.

While there are strong feelings on both sides, it is not something that is discussed very often (although there are a few passionate people working to change this). Some people think nothing of exploiting pictures of distressed bears in order to attract business, but do nothing to prevent more unnecessary bear fatalities.

Chris Parmeter, a wildlife officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, wrote a painfully honest account of his dealings with so-called problem bears, and the harrowing, tragic final encounter he had with one bear. I encourage you all to read it, especially if you live in or visit bear country - click here.

A Helping Hand

The outside thermometer read -24°F as the sun rose in Lake City. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife truck pulled into the driveway as one last gear check was performed. We greeted Lucas Martin (Lake City's local CPW officer) and drove to our rendezvous point, where we met with staff and volunteers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the US Forest Service. We had all gathered to work with the precious cargo in one of the truck beds; two 90lb bear cubs.

In the summer of 2012, a sow was shot and killed when it entered an open window at a house near Powderhorn. Two young cubs were later discovered with the sow, and they were both transported by CPW to Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center near Del Norte.  Lucas considered both cubs to be good candidates for rehabilitation, and were cared for by staff and volunteers for the rest of 2012. Weighing only 20lbs each upon their arrival, the cubs were fed a natural diet (while minimizing human contact) until they were considered ready for release.

After introductions between the group of ten, we drove to a staging area where it was necessary to switch to snowmobiles. While the bears were comfortable in a straw-lined box (which would form the heart of the artificial den), the team worked to load hay bales and associated equipment on sleds before setting off into the wilderness in convoy.

Hay bales and bears!

Sunlight penetrated the tree canopy on the clear, cold January morning. We could travel no further on snowmobiles due to the terrain, and prepared our equipment again, as we would be traveling on foot from this point.

Hauling hay through dense forest.

We verified the location of the previously-scouted den site, and then quickly organized into teams to carry and drag hay bales through knee-deep snow to an isolated yet sheltered spot. Finally, the two cubs (still comfortable in their temporary home) were hauled on a steel sled through the snow and brush by a team of six.

Moving bears through the wilderness by hand is a team effort.

An artificial den must provide insulation and protection for the inhabitants. Their container home is sited in a location that a wild bear might choose, and is then surrounded by hay bales for insulation and extra nesting material. The hay is, in turn, covered with snow and nearby fallen branches. This provides yet more insulation, camouflage and protection. The bears are able to leave their new home via a  hay-covered entrance.

Using natural materials to finish the den structure.

 The finished den receives a final covering of snow.

After a last look at our achievement (the bears will not be visited again), we re-traced our steps to our waiting snowmobiles where we rode off into the wilderness. We left behind two warm, well-fed bear cubs who have every chance of living a normal life in the San Juans.

Left to right:  Christa Beiriger, Craig Palmer, Kevin Suellentrop, Eric Flickinger, Michael Sirochman, Patrice Palmer, Danny Zadra, Lucas Martin, Mike Fuller, Nick Gallowich, and Brooke Vasquez.
Not pictured, but vital to the operation is Chris Parmeter who took the group photo.

We'd like to thank Lucas Martin for inviting us to help with the relocation, and the whole team for their hard work and dedication. All too often, bears become habituated to humans and cannot be saved. Lake City Friends of the Bears is very grateful to have played a small part in this rare success story.