The BEAR Necessities

[Pygmy]

The Mermaid's sister got a call from a DEC biologist regarding a bear that was denned on her property...

She gave permission for them to go to the den and check out the critter, including darting it, tagging etc. etc..

It was a female and everybody was hoping it had cubs..

We had quite an entourage...One DEC biologist, two DEC technicians, one veterinarian, One Professer from NY College of the Fingerlakes, 12 graduate students, two game wardens, 5 high school students,  One old man (me) and two old women ( Mermaid and her sister)...

The bear was in a HUGE pile of bulldozed trees...She was successfully tranquilzed, and  to everybody's disappointment, had no cubs...

It was still pretty cool...Everybody who wanted to got to climb into the brushpile and view the bear..I declined, because I have seen bears before, but the DEC personnel helped  The Mermaid and her sister ( who is 82) to get into the den and see the bear..We have some pictures, but it just looks like a dead bear, so I won't try to share them... Cool way to spend the morning, though, and I was impressed with the professionalism of the DEC personnel...

[G-Man]

Awesome!! I had turkey legbanding done here and had neighbor come up we banded birds and put them in boxes for holding till all were done to release together.. the do a fisher study as well been 5 years at least but that is just a camera trap.. not the same as holding onto a 20 lb live bird!

[Lawdwaz]

If that happened today, you had way more fun than I did.  LOL

That's awfully cool, dogpatch is ON the map!!!!

[Daveboone]

I love bears...(but just like how much I love whitetails, I also love to hunt them). I would love to be in on a tagging/ den check someday, but obviously it isn't the easiest thing to get involved in without direct firsthand contacts. Cool for you guys though.

[ANTLERS]

Just out of curiosity, How did the DEC know there was a bear denned on their private property and the exact spot, Radio collar?

[mowin]

Wow.  That sounds like a great time.  Something I'd like to experience.  

Post up those pics. I'd like to see them.  

[Rattler]

Wow, that's cool.  That was quite an army out there though.

[grampy]

Very cool way to spend some time in the late winter woods. Over the years, DEC has done a few den checks in our area. But to this point, never on our property. Did they give an age and weight estimate on the bear?

[Pygmy]

3 hours ago, ANTLERS said:

Just out of curiosity, How did the DEC know there was a bear denned on their private property and the exact spot, Radio collar?

Yes....As a matter of fact, the collar had been rubbing badly on the bear's neck, so they removed it to allow her to heal, and chose not to replace it..She did get two brand new ear tags, though..