Introduction Page

Hello,

The Wisconsin DNR’s Office of Applied Science (OAS) is asking the public to report black bear den locations for a new research study. The study will survey reported dens to estimate reproductive parameters within each bear management zone.

The DNR periodically reevaluates the components of its population models, including the one for black bears, to insure they accurately reflect the larger population. The reproductive component of these models is a measure of how many new bears are added to the population each year. This estimate is determined by calculating metrics like the average litter size, litter frequency and cub survival rates.

Since Wisconsin is a large state, OAS is asking for the public to report known black bear den locations to speed up the data collection process and give researchers an idea of where to target their efforts. If you have seen a black bear den this year or recall locations from recent years, please report them using the form on the next page.

If you would like to learn more about the project, check out OAS’ website for one-page descriptions of all our ongoing research projects. You can find this project by clicking the Wildlife Research button on the main OAS webpage.

Thank you in advance for supporting wildlife research in Wisconsin. This project would be immensely more difficult without the support of Wisconsinites like you. Every report helps make our project’s dataset more accurate and representative of the larger population.

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