Maine Bear Monitoring

I was privileged to go on a bear monitoring trip some 20+ miles west of Ashland last Sunday, I will take several days sending the mailings so as not to choke anyone's computer.......for more info google maine bear monitoring... this pic shows the crew getting ready to leave.

In the previous weeks an airplane had located signals from collared bears, the coordinates were put on a map and given to the ground crew, this makes locating the bears much quicker using locating equipment, the person on the right is holding up an antenna.

The den is located and snow removal begins.

The den entrance is located, digging through 5' of snow in the middle of the Northern Maine woods and into the opening of a bear den, pretty impressive !!

The bears are in a torpor state, not as quick or alert as they would be in the summer, but aware and moving around in the den feeding and grooming the cubs, still capable of inflicting pain, they've even on occasion run out of the den when confronted in the winter, in this picture 2 of the guys takes turns going in and assessing the situation... I wonder what these guys do for excitement on days off !!

One of the guys prepares a jab stick, this will be used to inject a sedative and put her to sleep.

2 of the guys are discussing how best to stick the bear, the person on the left is holding the jab stick with the glove on it for protection.

He's got a flashlight and is ready to go in, note the jab stick has been shortened to 2 feet, he plans on getting pretty close.

The jab was successful, it'll take 10 minutes for the drug to work, time for lunch.

Time to go back in and check to see if she's asleep, she is.

One person holds on to the bears back legs while 2 others outside pull his back legs and the bear out.

With the bear out the examination starts, this young female didn't have any cubs.

The bear gets a complete physical, everything is recorded and compared to last years examination, since the study is in the same area every year many of these bears have been seen before.

The physical is nearly over....138 lbs

Her head is held up while the person on the left takes her picture, note the person in the middle is about to give her a wake up shot, she is then returned to the den and the entrance of it covered with snow, the whole procedure is quick but very professional, these guys know their stuff !!

These pics were taken at a different location, this 13 year old 168 lb mother had 3 cubs, the biologist planned to visit 4 dens that day, I stayed for 2 of them.

The cubs are also given physicals.

3.5 lbs

Mother being posed for her photo, all part of the record, this bear had also been reviewed many times in past years.

The cubs pretty well stay put after they find a warm safe place.

Be nice to take one home, but...

Couldn't of had a better day.

Thanks to Chuck Johnston (P. Isle) for the making this day possible.

Yours truly.

No words needed !!

Group pic of the biologist as they were leaving to find another den, it was obvious these guys like their work and are good at it !! Randy Cross (2nd from right) and the rest of his crew are to be commended........