Maine's black bear monitoring project — one of nation's longest-running bear studies — turns 50 this year. Scientists say the data collected have been an essential tool in helping to manage the state's healthy bear population.
State bear biologist Caitlin Drasher says when the study began in 1975, not much was known about black bears in Maine, including how many there were, where they denned, or how they lived. To fill the gap in information, the project, started by research biologist Roy Hugie, set out to track female bears with radio collars, and count and tag cubs by crawling into dens.
Drasher says a half century later, a lot more is known about the more than 25,000 black bears in the state. Thanks to the huge data set from this field study, combined with harvest data collected during the hunting season, biologists now have a better understanding of not just how big the population is, but also of black bear denning habits, what habitat they prefer, and how they're impacted by natural food cycles.
"It's allowed Maine to monitor and maintain this healthy, stable bear population, and still support sustainable hunting and viewing opportunities, and keep the population in balance, both with what the environment can support, and what people can coexist with," she says.
Drasher says the ongoing study will help the state detect any changes in the black bear population early on and make informed decisions on how to manage it.
In tribute to this research effort, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has released a new documentary about the humans behind the black bear study called "50 Seasons."
