Bear and Wildlife Viewing Update for Monday, August 9

Michael Allen, Bear Researcher/Guide 604-698-6709

6am and 6pm tours continue to see 7-15 bears

15 bears (6 adults, 1 yearling, and 8 cubs) seen at 6-9pm, Aug 8

12 bears (6 adults and 6 cubs) seen at 6-9am, Aug 9

Bear Activity Synopsis:

Bears are foraging all 3 food groups: clover/grass, ants and bees, and ripening berries. The late winter snowpack and colder spring has delayed berry ripening but, has prolonged lush green-up at higher elevations allowing bears continue grazing high quality vegetation while they wait for berries. Berries are ripening at mid-elevations now in scattered areas and Greenacres, the ski area's largest and most important berry producing area, should yield berries by late August. Sunny days with periodic rain is perfect weather for ripening berries. A late berry crop is better than an early crop and I'm anticipating the current trend of high bear activity to become even higher through late August and September. Early August signals the mid-point of bear biology. The mating season is now over with bears focusing on their stomachs instead of each other. Our 6 bear families are all accounted for with 11 cubs. Of our 17 adult female bears resident to the ski area, 11 are assumed to be pregnant. Before major berry consumption in August, pregnant bears experience a halt in their gestation period. Fertilized eggs are automatically held in suspension until late November. This delay in egg implantation allows the female to check her weight gain before implanting eggs. If females have gained over 50 lbs, 1-3 eggs will implant in early December. If females do not gain the weight, eggs may dissolve bumping that female to the 2011 breeding cycle. So climate dictates berry yield and berry supply regulates weight gain and subsequent cub production. Bears are active at least 10 hours a day increasing to over 16 hours a day by late August. 

Bear Trip Highlights:

Blonde Brownie teaching her 2 black cubs the art of carpenter ant feeding

Different looking young male bears grazing late summer clover and testing their rankings with each other

Large adult bears (Jeanie, Slumber, Cassie, and Nick) grazing at treeline (6000ft)

Field interpretation of black bear winter tree dens

Neighboring animals (deer, hawks, marmots, etc.) and their role across the black bear landscape

NOTE>>  Evening Bear Tours START AT 5 PM on AUG 15

A young adult male black bear navigates a log crossing on Franz's Creek

M. Allen 8-2010.