AZ Black Bears

[IHunt2live]

Just got back from our second week trying to trap Black bears with the Game and Fish. We are trapping on Fort Huachuca and let me say that those in the military have quit a plan ground down there. Animals all over the place. Does are nearly tame. Saw 15 in someone’s backyard. The bucks on the other hand are hiding, only have seen one little spike. I’ll try to keep the number of pics to a minimum.

The bear trapping finnaly picked up the last two days with a SMALL 60lb male that we couldn't even put a collar on. This morning, out of the same colvert trap we cought the little guy in we got a HUGE about 250 lb male. We had to put an extension on the collar to get it around his 31 inch neck. We are afriad he might slip it though becouse his neck was about the size of his head.

 

And here is the beast himself.

 

 

Maybe I will have more to say later after I get some rest.

[TwoGuns]

Looks like a lot of fun.

[SilentButDeadly]

thats awesome.

 

It seemed like when I was working in the Rincons, the bear scat was full of manzanita berries this time of year. Are you guys looking at their diets, etc? Were you trapping in the Pinalenos last week? I heard there is a problem bear up at Riggs Lake...

 

 

[elkhunter]

I agree, ft huachuca is full of animals and some folks complain there's too much hunting. Those are some nice bears, I've seen 2 bears in 35A and both were solid black not light brown color. Good pics, thanks.

[cmc]

I'm surprised the little guy is still alive in the same area as that beast. I'd figured the big guy would have either killed him or pushed him out of the country. That or they are over run with bears in that area.

 

I can't wait to see the info gathered from the study.

 

Good luck and thanks for the pictures.

 

cmc

[IHunt2live]

Tyson

No only on the fort right now later we are going to be trapping up in the white mts. I don't think we are going to deal with problem bears either. Wr aren't looking at their diet either, well we are just for the fun of it. Ya they are hitting the manzanita berries a little. They are still eating a lot of grass, some ants, and the lucky ones are getting a little rotten carp from us and avioding the traps. So basicly all we are doing is trying to get collars on the bears right now. WCS, (Wildlife Conservation Society) is a partner in the project and the basicly initiated the project so the Game and Fish for a while were about the axe the project but decided to run with it so there was a little pressure to get some collars on but it looks like the G&F are fully backing it now.

 

cmc

I was shocked to that the little guy and the beast came out of the same trap in less then a day. Hes at that age when he just left his mother after coming out of the den a couple of month ago and is now trying to find out were he will live. Been lucky I guess avioding the older bears. We were disaponted not getting a collar on him for that reason, hes still trying to find his home range so he might be moving a lot in the next few years.

[cmc]

True that'd have been the perfect bear to collar for movement info. I'd hope that the project can spring for a smaller collar. Maybe borrow a lion collar from that project?

 

cmc

[DesertBull]

If you put a tight collar on that little bear, won't it choke him as he grows over the summer and fall?

[cmc]

yes but that's true for just about all the bears going from spring into fall. In the case of the small one it'd be worth putting a smaller one on him for 6mths and then have it drop off.

 

Which model collars are they using on the study, store and drop, retrieve via proximity and drop, or non drop off with either store or forward? If drop off, what's the length of time before drop?

 

cmc

[IHunt2live]

yes but that's true for just about all the bears going from spring into fall. In the case of the small one it'd be worth putting a smaller one on him for 6mths and then have it drop off.

 

Which model collars are they using on the study, store and drop, retrieve via proximity and drop, or non drop off with either store or forward? If drop off, what's the length of time before drop?

 

cmc

 

I'm not sure the details of them but the data is recieved by satelite then sent strait to the biologist, no fly over and download needed. I believe the collars are set to drop off after about 3 years.

[cmc]

Cool thanks.

 

cmc

[russd]

3 years! wow. i know for lions they usually run them a year and drop, never heard of 3 years. should be gathering a ton of data.

[jim]

I found a collar this year while horn hunting and turned it in a the pinetop office. I hoped they would call me back to find out what it was off of, but they didn't.

[IHunt2live]

I found a collar this year while horn hunting and turned it in a the pinetop office. I hoped they would call me back to find out what it was off of, but they didn't.

 

sent you a PM, I'm guessing that was one of the missing bear collars from their study up there.

[Basser15]

Man that looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for the pics.

 

If you guys need a volunteer in July let me know because I'd like to tag along, I have that month off from school so I'm free.