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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPA2325SUSITNA HYDIROELECT'RIC PROJECT 1983 ANNUAL REPORT Brl,G GAME STUDIES VOLUME VI BLACK IBEAR AND BROWN BEAR Sterling D.Miller ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME Submitted to the Alaska Power Authority April 1984 DOCUMENT No.2325 1" I ~. - .- SUSltNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT 1983 ANNUAL REPORT Big Game Studies Vo lume VI Black Bear and Brown Bear Sterling D.Miller Alaska Department of Fish and Game 333 Raspberry Rd • Anchorage I AK 99502 .Submitted to Alaska Power Authori ty,April 1984 Results reported herein'deal with portions of a continuing study and should be treated as tentative.Do not cite in technical publications without permission from 4uthor. ARLIS . .Alaska Resources LIbrary &Infonnation Services Anchorage,Alaska Tk i~J-S l7!~ e~L( - .- - - ARY QUES'l':IORS OR COMMERTS COliCERH:ING m:IS RBPOR~SHOULD BE DIRBCTBD TO THE ALASD POWER ADTHOR:I'fi SUS:IDA PROJD:"JI OFP:ICB - .- - - - - - I.SUMMARY. This report is an update of information presented in earlier reports (Miller and McAllister 1982,Miller 1983)and does not co,ntain analyses of all the information available on the impacts of the proposed;Susitna Dams on black bear (Ursus americanus)and brown bear (Ursusa~ctos)populations . Following tagging operations in spri,ng 1983,a total of 43 brown bears were radio-marked including 15 subadults.Five of these were in the downstream study area.In spring 1983 40 black bears were also radio-marked,half of these were in the downstream st'udy area between Portage Creek.and Curry. The reproductive status of marked female brown and black bears in spring 1983 was consistent with the predicted pulse in cub pro- duct~on expected based on the 1981 failure of the berry crop. HO'\\fever,this pulse was not as .large as expected largely because sOlne females expected to produce first litters failed to do so. Thlese observations support the hypothesis that project-related reductions in food supplies would negatively impact productivity of bear populations. Documented losses of.offspring from litters of collared female brown bears was 47%for cubs and 33%for'yearlings.A limited amount of data collected in 1983 suggested these losses resulted from predation by other brown bears. Kill locations for 351 brown bears in the study area portion of GMt!13 during the period 1961-1982 were digitized based on information recorded in ADF&G sealing documents.The sex and age composi tion of these harvested bears are reported.These data are presented to 'assist subtas~ts undertaking socio-economic studies in the project area.Based on hunter kills of marked bears,no less than 8%/year of the brown bear population is hal.'-vested. 2 .- - - .- - Telemetry studies of six 2-year old bears (5 males and 1 female) indicated that the female and 1 male remained in or"near their maternal home ranges.The other 4 males dispersed distant from their "maternal home'ranges.These observations validate earlier hypotheses that proj ect-related reductions in bear numbers or productivi ty in the study area will impact bear populations el.sewhere through reduced emigration . Continued high use of Prairie creek dur;ng the king salmon spawning season in 1983 supported earlier conclusions that this area is a seasonally important critical habitat area for brown bears in the stUdY'area.The area documented from which bears are attracted to Prairie Creek is 7,200 km 2 and 2,200 krn 2 for males and females respect"ively. The brown bear density estimate of 1/41 km 2 in an adjacent study area ~ade by Miller and Ballard (1982)remains the best available estimate for the Su-Hydro project study area.In 1983 an inde- pendent estimate was derived based on the frequency or which radio-marked bears were seen.wi th other"marked bears and with unmarked bears during the spring 1983 breeding season.This process resulted in estimates of 11-50 km 2 /bear depending on the assumptions used.These calculations lend additional credence to the density estimate of Miller and Ballard (1982). Da"ta collected in 1983 supported earlier conclusions that few brown bears den sites would be directly affected by the proposed impoundments.Indirect effects from increased disturbance is considered to be the main impact mechani sm on brown bear denning. Overall rates of harvest by hunters of marked black bears was 14% (19%for marked males and 10%for marked females).This rate was higher in the downstream study area (29%)than in the upstream study area (13%). 3 .... ..... ..... - - ..- j ..... Black bear litter sizes declined over time.Mean litter size in dens was 2.5,2.2 after exit from dens and 1.9 for litters of yearlings.Forty percent of black bear cubs have been lost from litters of'radio-collared females. Efforts to replicate the summer 1982 black bear census technique in spring 1983 were unsuccessful.A tenative density estimate of 1.3 mi 2 jbear based on fem~le .home range sizes and various'assump- tions about population composition.and productivity was derived . This estimate was considered too high for 1983 populations but was considered a reasonable approximation of the maximum carrying capacity of the upstream study area'(400 bears).It is antici- pated that this estimate will be refined once adequate habitat maps have been prepared by the plant ecology subtask. Analyses of scats collected along salmon spawning sloughs in the d01W'nstream study area in 1983 revealed the same pattern as seen in 1983 studies.Berries were the most abundant and common item in these scats and salmon 'remains were uncommon.Radio-marked bears in the downstream study area,however,moved to the vicin- i t:V of these salmon:-spawning sloughs during the salmon spawning season as in previous years.Based on these results it is sug- gested that radio-tracking studies of downstream black bears be deemphasized in FY 1985 but that scat collections along the sloughs be continued. Of 26 black bear den sites found in the vicinity of the Watana impoundment,15 will be inundated.Only 1 of 21 dens found in the vicini ty of the Devils Canyon impoundment will be inundated. 4 .... II.TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. I. II. Summary Table of Contents e-$••"•2 •e _oD 11II tI 5 III..List of Tables Q III qr •e-e qr e-'Il 'lII I!I . .7 IV.List 'of Figures • •e "0,•...'"•• ••12 - V. VI.' Introduction and Acknowledgements Methodology . ..14 . ..16 VII.Results and Discussion--Brown Bears 18 A.Sex and Age Composition of Study Animals .......•.....18 "~ B.Population Biology and Productivity ....18 i C. D. Harvest Data Movement Analysis "......23 Cl •••••..••••.24 1.Subadult Dispersal • •'.•co "•.24 -2.Seasonal Movements to Prairie .Creek . . ..26 E.Density Estimation Procedures and Results . • . . . . . . . . . . . . ..28 F.Denning Data 5 ..•..• •e"" • • • •1\1 .32 I I .TABLE OF CONTENTS (cant r d) Page No. - - VIII.Results and Discussion-- Black Bears ....34 .- A. C. Sex and Age Composition of Study Animals . . . . . Population Biology and Productivity •.. Density Estimates ·.34 ·.34 ·.37 "..,1. 2. Lincoln Index Method Home Range of Female Method· . . . ..37 .37 -D. E. F. Berry Abundance Food Habits Denning Data . . . . . ..40 e _ •.40 . . ..41 IX.R~ferences Cited . ..0 e-• •e.•II>• • • • •...43 -, X. XL Appendix 1. Tables Differentiation of brown and black bear scats:an ~valuation of bile acid detection by thin layer chromatography ....45 .71 .-XII.Figures . . . . ...... . .158 6 II I •LI ST OF TABLES. Page Np. Table 1.Brown bear capture statistics e _•.II ~iii iii G 71 Predicted and observed sprinq 1983 reproductive status-brown bear 77 "Table 2. Table 3. Table 4. Table S. Black bear"capture statistics Number of brown bear point locations Number of black bear point locations · ..73 ...1&.,...Q 75 .76 Table 6. Table 7. Table 8. Predicted 1984 reproductive status-brown bear . . . • ....• .•. . .•.78 Summary of brown bear litter size data ................79 Brown bear offsprinq.$urvivorship "and weaning ".................84 ..-Table 9'.Summary of brown bear cub and .and yearlinq 16'eses,1978-1983 .··· ···.86 ~ Table 10.Brown bear cub morphometrics ..87.· · · · · · Table 11.Brown bear yearling morphometries"· · · · ··.88 ,,- Table 12.Brown bear harvests in Su-Hydro study area .. . .. .. ...··· · · .89 Table 13.Status of brown bears marked in 1978 ···· · .90 Table 14.Status of brown bears marked in 1979 ·····.91 ....7 ---------------------------~----------- ,.,... ! III.LIST OE'TABLES (cont'd) Page No. -Table 15. Table 16. Status of brown bears marked in Su-hydro studies,1980-1983 Summary of Tables 13-15,hunter- killed marked brown bear in . . . . . ..92. -GMU 13,1978-1983 •~• ••0 e-•. . ..94 - Table 17.Home range sizes of two-year old radio-marked brown bears,1983 .. . ..95 ..... ! Table 18. Table 19. Table 20 . Annual use of Prairie Creek by brown bears . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . ..96 Annual brown bear home range sizes . . .....98 River crossings by radio-marked brown bears . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . .100 ..-,.Table 21.Associations of radio-marked brown bears during spring 1983 . .103 Characteristics of brown bear den sites during winters of 1980-81,1981-82 .Summary of parameters used in brown .·bear density estimate"s 106 ..- Table 22.- Table 23..... t ,.....1982-83 " . . . . .1.07 -Table 24.Distances between brown bear den sites in successive years . . . . . ...110 ~Table 25.Entrance and emergence dates for 1980/81 brown bear dens . . . . . . . . . . .111 8 -III.LIST OF TABLES (cont'd) Page No. - Table 26.Entrance and emergence dates for 1981/82 brown bear'dens ...•...112 Table 27.Entrance and emergence dates for~ 1982/83 brown bear dens · . .113 Table 28. Table 29. Entrance and emergence dates for 1983/84 brown bear dens . . . . . . .114 Mean den entrance and emergence dates for brown bear ... . . ... .· .115 -Table 30. Table 31. Table 32. Table 33. Predicted and observed 1983 black bear reproductive status . Predicted 1984 black bear reproductive status Sex and age composition of study animals-black bear . • . Status of marked black bears, 1980-1983 •".co · . .116 · .117 · .118 119 Table 34.Natural mortalities of marked bears · ·· ··122 Table 35.Black bear litter size,cubs .. .····123 -Table 36.Black bear litter size,yearlings.· ··· · · 125 Table 37.Summary of black bear cub loss data.· ·· · ·126 Table 38.Black bea;r cub morphometries ···· · · 127 If-Table 39.Black bear yearling morphometries ··· · · · 128 9 III.LIST OF TABLES (cont'd) Page No. Table 40.Downstream black bear census attempt results,1983 spring 129 - Table 41. Table 42. Upstream black bear census attempt results,1983 spring . • . . Upstream black bear census attempt results,1982 summer . .130 . . .131 Table 43a.Spring home ranges of upstream female black bears (4/1 to 7/5 excluding den sites). • . . . ...132· Table 43b.Spring home ranges of upstream ,> female black bears (1/1-7/10 with den sites). . . .0 • • • • • • • 0 • 0 • • •133 ...... Table 44. Table 45. Table 46. Spring home ranges of downstream female·black bears . Annual home range sizes -downstream black bears . • •.•• • • Annual home range sizes -upstream . black bears . . . . . . . . . . . i 134 • . .135 136 Table 47.Berry abundance in 1983 transects . . . .0 0 138 Subjective summar~of annual berry abundance • . .00 • • 0 0 0 • • 0 139 - Table 48. Table 49.Brown bear and black bear scat analyses,1983 10 o •0 •••141 I I 1.LIST OF TABLES .(contI d) Page No. •. ..• •143. - Table 50. Table 51. Table 52. Table 53. Salmon abundance in streams and sloughs Ranking of bear and salmon use .of downstream sloughs and creeks during 24-25 August 1983 ..... Number of Susitna River crossings by radio-marked black bears • . . Black bear den characteristics . . .145 . . .146 . .149 Table 54. Table 55. Known history of use of black bear dens •..•. .~. . . . . .152 History of den use by marked bl'ack bears ... ... ... . . . . . . . .154 Table 56.·Black bear den entrance and emergence ,dates,1982/83 . . • ... . . .156 r- I Table 57.Black bear den entrance and emergence dates,1983/84 . . 11 ... . .157 IV.LIST OF FIGURES Page No. .- Figure.1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Brown bear kill locations 1983 home ranges of female G388 and 2-year-6ld male offspring G389 and G390 .••..... 1983 home ranges o~female G384 and 2-year-old offspring G391 and G392 (males)and G393 (female) 1983 home ranges of female G312 and 2-year-old male offspring G386 •_•..1&0&158 ..159 . . .160 161 .- Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Use of Prairie Creek by marked brown bears ...... . . . . . .162 Area occupied by radio-marked bears in spring 1983 (except maternal femaies).•....••......163 Total area occupied by radio- marked bears in 1983 (except maternal females)...... • . . . . .164 Figure 8.Brown bear den sites •....•..v C GI .. ....165 Figure 9.AnnUal home ranges,upstream black bear females -1980 . . . ••. . . . .166 - Figure 10.Annual home ranges,upstream black bear females -1981 12 . . . .167 ..- IV.LIST OF FIGURES (cont I d) Page No. Figure 11.Annual home ranges,upstream black bear ~emales -1982 . .... . . . .168 Figure 12.Annual home ranges,upstream black bear females -1983·. . . . . . . . .169 Figure 13.Spring home ranges,upstream black bear females in 1981 . . . . . . . . .170 ..... Figure 14.·Spring home ranges,upstream black bear femaies in 1982 • Figure 15.Sprjng home ranges~upstream black bear females in 1983 . . .171 . . . . . .172 Figure 16.Black bear den site locations, upstream study area ......••....173 Figure 17.Black bear den site locations, downstream study area.. . . . .174 13 .... - ..... .... F'" I v.Introduction and Acknowledgements. This progress report is an updated supplement to our Final Phase I report '(Miller and McAllister 1982)and the first Phase II progress report (Miller 1983).The material di.scussed here does not repeat analyses presented in our earlier reports except where ,~ addi tional information was collected in 1983 that modifies or .significantly strengthens the results presented in those reports. Also included in this report are the preliminary ,'results of studies initiated in 1983.This .report·is a supplement to our earlier reports and does not present all'the available infor- mation about the impacts of the proposed Susitna project on bear ,. populations. The dedications,talents and efforts of Dennis McAllister (ADF&G).. have been of crucial importance throughout all aspects of thi s study.Valuabl~contributions were also made by K.Schneider, W.Ballard,B.Tobey,B..Taylor,H.Griese,C.Gardner, J.Whitman,N.Tankersley,S.M.Miller,D.Anctil,P.Hessing, B.Cassell,T.Cunning,N.Graves,T.Otto,'C.Schwartz, L.Aumiller,P.Smith,and Terry Biwer (all ADF&G).S.Lawler, Penny Miles,and B.Brewer provided cheerful clerical assistance. C.Crouch and J.Hallanger provided administrative aid . The skills of V.Lofstedt,C.Lofstedt,M.Hauke,and L.Rogers (Kenai Air Alaska)were appreciated in piloting helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as were the skills of A.Lee (Lee's Air TaXi),K.Bunch (Sportsman's Flying Service),D.Deering (Deering Air Taxi),C.Allen (Allen Flying Service),and several heli- copter pilots with Air Logistics Inc.(especially Jerry Dixon). Special thaI:!,ks to Rick Halford (Susi tna Lodge),and Jim Grimes (Adventures Unlimited)for permission to use their landing strips and facilities for'storinf:,'fuel.Bruce Barrett,and other Su- Hydro fisheries study personnel (ADF&G)provided logistic support and information during our downstream bear study effort which was much appreciated 14 ""'"The.cooperation of Gra.nville Couey (Harza-Ebasco)I the Wabma Camp Manager I Bob Lund and their staff was.appreciated.Robin Sener of LGL and his st.aff assisted in various ways as did Randy Fairbanks and the staff at Harza-Ebasco. Funding for this Authority and Dr. various ways. ." project was provided by the Alaska Power Richard Fleming of that agency assisted in 15 VI.Methodology. Methods used followed those discussed by Miller and McAllister (1982)and Miller (1983).Because of the larger number of radio-marked bears and their wider distribution,most of the 1983 radio-tracking flights took 2 days to accomplish.Typically radio-trackers would overnight on the Denali Highway or in Talkeetna.R~dio-monitoring flights·in 1983 were conducted on: -16 March,13-17 and 25 April,.4,10,and 23 May,1-2",6,13-14, and 20-21 June,8-11 and 20-21 July,1-3,10-11,and 16-17 August,6-7,16"-17,and 26-27 September,5 and 24 October,and 14 November.Uncertainties over budget allocation levels curtailed some flights scheduled in JUly and October,this compromised data collected in 1983 relative to previous years especially with reference to use of Prairie Creek and den entrance dates. -Tagging and recollaring No bears were killed. Tables 1 and 2.Number Tables 3 and 4. efforts were conducted on 14-19 May 1983. Bears handled in 1980-1983 are listed in of point locations obtained are listed in -! A black bear census effort wa~attempted on 24-25 May using procedures.described by Miller (1983).Because too few bears were seen relative to the number known present,this effort was aborted midway through the census.An effort to derive a bear density figure using female home range size was used in replace- ment,these procedures are described in the black bear density section of this report. Specially-designed cub collars using a pattern described by Strathern et ale (in press)were applied to 6 brown bear cubs.--. during the May tagging period.Breakaway collars were applied to 7 two-year old brown bears to evaluate dispersal.Specially- designed transmitters were also surgically implanted in 4 of these two-year olds plus 2 yearling brown bears by ADF&G veterinarians Bill Taylor and Bob Tobey.These implants and cub collars were experimental procedures that were tested as techniques to evaluate causes of subadult mortality. 16 Collars were replaced on black bears in accessible dens on March ;-21-24 and 14-16 April l 1983.At those times den sites were also marked.Snow was too deep in MarchI especially in the downstream stupy areal to easily visit all dens so remaining dens were visited in April.Bears handled during these periods are listed in Table 2. -- ,..., ..... r- i r- I Point locations for reported brown bear hunter kills'from 1900- 1972 were plotted on 1:250 1 000 scale USGS maps by GMU 13 area biologist Bob Tobey using hunter sealing documents as the data source.These points were digitized-on the Susitna file and used to evaluate the characteristics of hunter harvests in the study area. Based on teeth collected in 1983 the ages of some bears were changed.Change was called for when -the age assigned to the new tooth did not correspond,with the age expected based on the tooth collected earl.ier.The "correct"age was establi~hed in these cases by examining both sections again and deciding which section was the best.In most cases these changes involved a change of only one year.For black bear 321 1 however I the teeth collected in 1980 and 1983 were both clearly aged at 10.For this bear I arbi trarily assigned ·i t as age 10 in 1980 and age 13 in 1983. Changes made in ages are indicated in Table 1 and 2 . 17 -------~---~----------------------------------- ..... i~ .- VII.\:Results and Discussion--Brown Bears. A.'Sex and'Age Composition of Study Animals. Follqwing the May tagging effort 43 brown bears were radio-marked inclUdin9 6 cubs,2 yearlings,7 two-year o_lds,5 adults in the down~tream study area (379 <403,407 ,342,and 373 ) ,and .23 adulls in the upstream area.During 1983 two radio-marked bears were lshot and reported by hunters (380,395),3 radio":marked cubs. were!killed by 'other brown bears (005,006,003),2 cubs shed, coll~rs (007,009),one yearling with an implant radio died of unkn9wn causes (383),one 2-year old with an implant and brealtaway died in the fall (389),and 1 adult shed its collar (373 j.Post denning numbers of radio-marked bro~bears was, corr~spondingly,33 including 4 bears assumed still alive whose den ~i tes were not located prior to termination of the field seasC?n (381,312,393,and 293).Capture data from 1980-1983 are given in Table 1. The sex and age composition of the 33 bears radio marked at the end of the 1983 season was:7 adult (~4)males (399,400,279, 282,342,280,and 293),18 adult females (379,403,335, 349, 384, 396,299,407,344,381,281,340~283,312,337, 315, 388, and 313),4 two year-old males (39,0,392, 386,and 391),2 two year old females (393 and 385),1 y.~.arling male (382),and 1 male cub (008).Ages of these bears can be obtained from Table 1. B.Population Biology and Productivity--Brown Bears. Miller (1983 :22)predicted a pulse of cub production in 1983 based on the .apparent berry failure in .1981.Seven (54%)of 13 radio-collared females··were expected to produce cubs in 1983 but only 4 (32%)did (Table 5).The 3 bears that were expected to produce cubs but did not,were all expected to have their first li tters in 1983.Two of these were age 5 and one was age 4 in 1983.These data may indicate that age of first reproduction is 18 of 18 radio-collared in Table 6.Thirteen 1984,5 of these may 6 (Table 6).Three of - .- ..... older.than indicated by Ballard et al."(1982).They may also indicate that age of first litter production was dela'yed by the poor 1981 berry crop.Of the 4 bears that did have cubs in 1983, 2 had lost yearling litters in 1982,1 had lost a litter of 1 cub in 1982,and 1 produced its first litter at age 6 (Table 5). These observations support the pulse concept proposed by Miller .~ (1983)in that females that lost litters in the year following' the berry failure produced cub li1:ters 2 years after the berry failure (Miller 1983).However,this concept is supported only if.1982 losses were abnormally highi if the observed losses were typical no effect from the reduced berry crop be concluded.Data are currently inadequate to evaluate typical rates of offspring loss.Observations to date are consistent with the hypothesis that food availability impacts productivity in study area brown bear populations.Reductions of food availability caused by the .. impoundments and related activities would,under this hypothesis, have consequences on brown bear productivi ty. One female (344)lost her last yearling in July 1982,was subse-' quently seen with another bear and produced 2 cubs in 1983 (Table 5).This indicated that late breeding may successfully occur when litters are lost. The predicted 1984 reproductive status female brown bears (~4 years)is given (72%)of these bears may have .cubs in produce their first litters at age 5 or these bears lost their 1983 litters and are expected to produce new litters in 1984 (Table 6). Mean litter size of 19 brown bear litters.observed since 1978 was 2.1 (range 1-3).Reports of litters of 4 in GMU 13 have been ~eceived.The mean size of 22 litters of yearlings observed since 1978 was 1.6 (1-2).Details of these observations.are given in Table 7.The reproductive histories of individual radio-marked females are given in Table 8 . 19 ..- Details of losses from litters of cubs and yearlings are given in Table 7.These data are summarized in Table 9.Documented losses of cubs is 41-47%and'of yearlings 30-33%(Table 9).Ex- perimental procedures were tested in 1983 to evaluate causes of this mortality.Six specially-designed expandable collars equipped wi th small radios pulsing at 17 ppm in active mode and 43 ppm in inactive mod~were applied to cubs of 3 radio-collared female brown bears.Three of these 6 cubs were killed by other brown bears,details of these observations follow: Female 283 (age 15 in 1983)was still in its den on 4 May but was out with a single cub on 10 May"These bears were captured near thi s den on 14 May.The female was darted with SernylanjSparine and the cub (004)was captured by hand and calmed with 0.3 ml of., M99.These bears were radio-tracked on 15 May at which time I found the female standing under a spruce tree, the cub was not seen,but its radio collar was on active mode and its signal was coming from the same vicinity as the female.I assumed the cub was in the spruce tree.On 17 May the cub was found dead 2-3 miles from its location on 15 May.Female 283 was 2-3 miles away. The cub had been eaten almost completely and only a few bone.fragments remai,ned.Only brown bear tracks were seen in the snow around the dead cub.It was concluded that this cub was killed and eaten by an adult brown bear of unknown identity. Female 281 produced her first observed litter in 1983 at age 6.This bear was in its den on 4 May,was observed at the den with 2 cubs on 10 May,,was back in the den on 14 May and was captured on 15 May (with M99).Cubs were captured by hand and were not drugged . This family was located together on 16,17,23,and 24 May.On the'last 2 locations these bears were at lower 20 .... - - - - - elevations (2950 feet)than previously (over 4700 feet).On 1 June the cubs were found dead near the 24 May location,their mother was 8 miles away at 1750 foot elevation~One cub (005)was almost completely eaten like cub 004 (above),the other cub (006)was partially eaten,.partially·disemboweled and had its skull and pelvic area crushed.Canine'puncture wounds were found in its throat and head.Cub 006 had been buried about 200 feet from cub 005 under a patch of .. moss that had been ripped loose in a typical-appearing bear cache.The location of these kills was outside of typical black bear habitat and brown bear predation was concluded to be the cause of death for both cubs"The stomach of cub 006 was full of willow catkins,'a shrew skin and curdled milk.I suspect the lower elevation habitats to which this inexperienced mother bear moved so early in the spring may have increased the vulner- abi1i ty of her cubs to predation by other brown bears. Female 299 (age 17 in 1983)was still in its winter den when 'upstream capture efforts were terminating so the bear was darted in its den using M99.Thi s bear had 3 cubs (007,008,and 009)all o·f which were collared. No cubs were in~entional1y drugged but'one had appar- ently ingested some drug and was,correspondingly, given some antagonist after which it quickly recovered. All 3 cubs apparently survived until den entrance (they. were last seen on 27 Sept.).One cub shed its collar between 16 Sept.and 27 Sept.Another cub shed its collar between 20·June and 8 July.The third cub was apparently still wearing its collar (on active mode) when last monitored in ,its den on 14 November.One shed collar functioned as designed,the2lther broke at an unexpected location. 21 "'" - - - - ...... - .... One other brown bear cub was handled in spring 1983 (with female 394 at age 6).The'neck of this cub (#004)was badly scarred so it was not collared.The female was darted with M99 and the cub was calmed with a small dose of the same drug.The female and cub were captured on 15 May,the nest day the female was observed wi thout its cUb.It is possible that this loss was capture- related. Although this data set is small it suggests the effectiveness of using the specially-designed cub collars.These data also suggest that is it better to avoid dru.gg~ngthe cubs if this can be done reasonably.These observations also indicate that M99 is an appropriate drug to use in immobilization·of females with newborn cubs. Results from the internal transmitters surgically implanted in yearlings and 2-year olds are less clearcut.Range of these transmitters was only 3-4 miles.Two yearlings with female 313 (age 12 in 1983)were given implant transmitters by ADE'&:G veter- inarians Bob Tobey and Bill Taylor.On 14 May,the adult female was darted with Sernylan/Sparine,the yearlings with M99. Between 23 May and 2 June yearling 383 died.The carcass of this bear was not found,the internal transmitter had been carried away from the carcass..Based on the spacing of tooth marks found on the wax-coated transmitter we believe a fox removed it·from the carcass.This bear's sibling·(384)survived and entered its den with its mother'.Surgery-related mortality for yearling 383 cannot be eliminated asa possibility but was considered unlikely. Another bear (male,age 2,#389),fitted with an internal trans- mi tter as well as a breakaway collar,died in the fall 1983. Cause of death has'~yot yet·been determined but·an unrecovered hunter ki 11 or wounding is considered likely . 22 - - - .- - - -- All other bears fitted with internal transmitters are still alive.The short range of the.internal transmitters used in ·1983 precludes their effective use as a method'of documenting dis- persal of subadul ts.Asa method of determining causes of yearling mortality,however,this procedure has potential.One bear (male,age 2,#390)shed its breakaway collar in mid sununer and was subsequently located using just the~surgically implanted internal transmitter.Fortunately this bear'remained close to its maternal home range and did 'not disperse so some locations could be'obtained even with the limited range of the internal transmitter. Measurements of brown bear cubs and yearlings handled to date are given in Table 10 and 11. C.Brown Bear Harvest Data. Brown bear kill locations as reported on ADF&G sealing documents during the period 1961-1982 (N=351 points)in that portion of GMU 13 surrounding and including the SU-Hydro study area were plotted by GMU 13 area biologist Bob Tobey (Figure 1).the sex and age composition of these kills during the period 1970-1982 is presented in Table 12.In the period 1980-1982 a mean of 38 bears/year were tak~n .in this area.Mean female ages have changed little during the.period 1974-1982 (fall data)but mean male ages have declined.The proportion of males in the fall harvest has remained relatively constant (annual mean =60%) during the last 9 years (Table 12).Liberalizations of seasons that occurred in 1980-1982 resulted in a 41%increase in mean annual harvest from 27/year (1974-1979)to 38/year (1980-1982)in , the area illustrated in Figure 1.The further liberalizations in the season and baglimits that occurred in 1983 further in,creased harvests in this area although these data have not yet been compiled. 23 ->, .- - ADF&G bear studies in this area have been ongoing since 1978. Reported hunter kills of marked bears can be used to estimate hunter kill rate (Table 13-16).These kill rates are minimum estimates because marked bears that have not been reported as shot are treated as still 'alive.Actually some of these have been shot and not reported as marked bears or have suffered mortalities of other 'kinds.During this period 29 marked bears were shot and reported out of a total of 366>marked-bears-years \. available.This provides a minimum estimate of 7.9%·mean annual exploitation rate (calculated from Table 16).In recent years the proportion,of marked bears taken by hunters appears to have increased (Table 16).The sex>ratio of marked bears in the harvest (72%males)compared to the sex ratio of marked bear years "available"(48%males.from Table 16)ind~cates heavy exploi tation,especially of the male segment of this population . D.Brown bear movements. 1.Subadultdispersal. Project-related reductions in brown bear populations in the study area are likely to 'be reflected in neighboring areas as fewer subadults will be available to disperse from the impact area to colonize the surround~ng areas.Dispersal can be documented by radio telemetry but standard radio collars may injure rapidly growing subadults.In 1983,therefore.we experimented with "dropoff"collars designed by Telonics.Inc.These collars were held in place with a length of surgical rubber tubing.Thi s tubing is intended to weather and decompose allowing the collar to drop off before it becomes too tight. One such dropoff collar was applied to 2-year old male 390 on 14 May along wi th its male sibling (389).The mother of these bears (388)was radio-collared at the same time.Both offspring were also given surgically implanted internal transmitters.G390 pulled its collar off between 20 June and 8 July.This bear did 24 .... - - not disperse (Figure 2)so it could still be periodically located using its internal transmi tter.Thi s bear is expected to di s- perse in 1984 as a 3-year old,one year later than is considered typical., The male sibling (389)of 390 separated from its mother at the same time (6 June-13 June).On 20 June the'mother was seen with a marked adult male (G400)so separation apparently coincided wi th estrus.G389 dispersed in a northeasterly direction in early August.It was last seen alive on 5 October,on 24 October its carcass was spotted.This carcass was not·visited before deep snowfall so the cause of death was not determined.The area where this bear died,near the Denali Highway between the Clear- water and Maclaren Rivers,is heaVily hunted so it.'is 'possible that this bear was wounded by a hunter.Another dead bear was spotted in a nearby area during moose census work in early November and neither bear was skinned.The distribution of G389 is illustrated in Figure 2. G384 (female,age 12)was captured on a caribou kill'on 15 May. Adul t male 293 was wi thin a half mile.G384 had at least two 2-year old offspring (391 and 392,both males)and 393 (female, age 2)was within a few hundred yards .At the time it was thought that all thrE!e 2-year olds were siblings but G393 was never again seen with this group so it is possible that 393 was not part of the group.The two males stayed with their mother .until through 6 June,on 13 June their mother was seen with another bear and her offspring had separated from her.These brothers dispersed in a northeasterly direction'immediately after separation (Figure 3)but remained together through 27 September. By 5 October these bears had separated (one was on an apparent.. beaver kill at this time)and they denned in different locations. Their female sibling (393)remained near it,s maternal home range (Figure 3)throughout the year bu·t was not found in flights subsequent to 27 September,its den site was not located in 1983. Thi s bear may have been shot and not reported. 25 - G312 was recollared on 14 May and her 2-year old male offspring (386)was equipped with a breakaway collar and internal trans- mitter.On 2 June these bears were still together along with an unmarked bear,on 13 June separation had occurred and 312 was near male 399.G312 was also with a different unmarked bear on 21 July.These observations indicate separation coincided with estrus,as with the·above females.Offspring 386 apparently dispersed north soon after separation,this bear was not found .between 2 June and 20 July..On 20 July it was in-the upper Susitna-Monahan·Flats area and it denned in the Alaska Range near the West Fork Glacier of the Susi tna River (Figure 4). Home range size data for radio-marked 2-year olds are given in Table 17.Dates of separation of previous 2-year olds from their mothers are provided in individual reproductive life histories (Table 8). .. 2.Seasonal movements to Prairie Creek. Miller and McAllister (1982)and Miller (1983)documented move- ments of study area brown bears to Prairie Creek during the king salmo.n spawning period.An annual summary of observed movements to Prairie Creek by radio-collared brown bears is given in Table 18..Since 1980 a to~al of 73 radio-collared bear-years existed in July.For 20 of the 73 bear-years available since 1980 (27%), the radio··collared bear was found at Pr~irie Creek during the, King salmon spawning season (Table 18).The portion.of marked bears found at Prairie Creek in anyone year varied from 13%in 1981 to 36%in 1980 (Table 18).This percentage appears higher for males (56%)than for females (18%),perhaps because: 1.Females may have a tendency to avoid Prairie Creek during yeL~rs they have newborn cubs (e.g.283,see Table 18)i ~2.Females have smaller home and be lessrangesmay inclined to move out of them to a salmon spawning area,.-females may be more territorial. 26 ,- , - ,-. I All bears still radio-collared that were previously documented as visiting Prairie Creek (282,283,380)visited it again in 1983, with the exception of male 293,(Table 18).BUdgetary uncer- tainties during the Prairie creek'salmon spawning run resulted in relatively infrequent flights so these data represent minimal usage values.G293,for example,could have been missed .at Prairie Creek between "monitoring flights,"but this was considered unlikely. The home ranges of the individuals documented visiting Prairie Creek are illustrated in Figure 5 (1980-1983).The 'total area encompassed by the movements of these bears was 7,894 km 2 •This is the minimal area from'which brown bears are attracted to Prairie Creek because no bears have been·tagged south and south- west of Prairie Creek.Doubtless bears in.this area move to Prairie Creek as well.Some brown bears were tagged in the downstream.study area in 1983 and one of these bears (407)moved .. from upper Gold Creek to Prairie Creek (Figure 5).This is interesting as salmon were available in the Susitna River around the mouth of Gold Creek,much closer to this bear's normal home range.These Susitna salmon,however,were primarily chum salmon.This movement may indicate that some bears,like human fisherman,may be willing to make large movements to indulge their preferences for king salmon over chum salmon.At·McNeil ... Ri ver.lhave observed an apparent preference for relatively rare king salmon over abundant chums by £i shing bears.A bear who caught a rare king salmon would eat it completely while chum salmon tended to be only partially eaten. Seven radio-collared females were attracted to Prairie Creek (10 bear-years)from.an inclusive area of 2,164 km 2 ,while 5 radio- collared males (9 bear-years)were attracted from an area of 7,216 km 2 •Areas occupied by individuals during years they were not documented as using Prairie Creek were not included in these calculations (293 in 1983 and 283 in 1981,Table 18). 27 .- ,..., - r, E.Density Estimation ,~.Procedure and Results. Brown bear density estimates are difficult to obtain.The best approximation for the Su-Hydro study area comes from a 1979 estimate made in an adjacent study area (Miller and Ballard 1982).An attempt to derive an independent estimate in 1983 was made using a calculated estimate of the proportion of the adult population that is radio-marked.This calculated estimate derived from the frequency with which radio-marked bears were seen with other.radio-marked bears or with other unmarked bears during the breeding season (Table 19).These calculations do not include bears in the downstream study area. On radio-monitoring flights conducted on June 1-2,five radio- marked bears were observed with unmarked bears and 1 radio-marked bear was seen wi th another radio-marked bear.A simple-minded calculation would,correspondingly,indicate that 1/6 (17%)of adul t bears were radio-marked (excluding females with cubs 'or yearlings that are not reproductively active).Similar calcu- lations for the 6 June flight,the 13-l4 June flight,and the 20-21 June flight (Table 19)would indicate,tha.t 0%,13%and 33% of adults were radio-marked,respectively.The mean value for these 4 flights was 15%. Making the assumption,based on these data,that 15%of the adult brown bears (excluding females w/litter of cubs or yearlings) were radio-marked,a population estimate based on the known numbers of marked bears can be derived.The mean number of radio-marked adults located on··these 4 flights was 17 (16-18) (Table 19).The mean number of radio-marked adults actually seen on theS!e 4 flights was·14 (.13-17)(Table 19).This second number is more appropriate to use than the first because asso~iations of bears not actually'seen are unknown.Correspondingly,if li~ .bears equals 15%of the adult population,this population esti- mate would be 93 adult bears excluding females with cubs and 28 ....._t ,..,. -- - females with yearlings ("non-estrus females lt ).Addition of non-estrus females to this estimate can be made from ·the fol- lowing formula: N=x/[(I-a)(b)+(I-b)]where: N =total number of adult bears present; x =the number of estrus female and male adults'(93 in this example)i ,a =an estimate of the percent of the adult female popu- lation that has cubs or yearlings (I-a,therefore is the proportion of the adult female population that is estrus); b=an estimate of the percent of the adult population (N) that is female. Females with cubs or yearlings are not in reproductive condition and,correspondingly,are.not expected to be seen with other adults.The proportion.ofthe female population th~t has cubs or yearlings ("a".in the above equation)can be estimated based on observed data in 1983 or a theoretical value can be used..In spring 1982,2 upstream adult brown bear females had cubs (344 and 299),1 had a yearling litter (313),and 13 had 2-year old or no offspring (394,281,315,337, 388,381, 312,335, 396,283, 340, 384,and 380).Females 281,394,and 283 had cubs early in the year but lost these in May and were probably in estrus in June so'these 3 bears are included in the list of 13 estrus females.Based on these observations,the value'of (a)in the above equation would ~e3/16 =19%.A value of 19%would be a minimum estimate of Ita"because of capturL biases against females .with cubs (Miller and Ballard 1982)and because of the conserva- tive way females that lost litters were treated (the value would have been 6/16 =38%before these litters were lost).A higher 29 ..,.. ..... ..- - estimate for (a)was obtained by making the,still conservative, assumption that in anyone year a third of the adult females were estrus,a third had cubs and a third had yearlings.Under this assumption,67%of'the female population was composed of non- estrus females.The midpoint between these two values is 43% (Table 20). Primarily because of hunter selectivity for males,the proportion of the adult population composed of females (b in'the above equation)is greater than 50%.A minimum estimate of (b),corre- spondingly,would be 50%.Of all radio-collared adults,76%were females in the first 2 years of this study (Miller and McAllister 1982:23)so this can be c'onsidered a maximum estimate of the proportion·of females in the adult bear population.'The midpoint between these values was 63%(Table 20). Using these estimates in the above equation yields estimates of from 103 to 190 adult brown bears in the study population with an..'.. estimate of 128 adults obtained by using the midpoint values of (a)and (b).The composition of each of these estimates is also given in Table ,20.By looking at the composition of each of these estimates it can be seen that most of the variation results in the estimated number of temales with cubs or yearlings (based on "b"in the above,equation).This value has a 800%change between lower·and·upper estimates (12 to 97).The number of males in the lower estimate of 103 bears.is greater than the number in the upper estimate of 190 bears (Table 20);this is clearly unrealistic . In order to obtain an estimate of the total bear population,the number of subadults in age classes 0,1,2,and 3,must be added to the above estimate of the number of adults (N).Miller and Ballard (1982 i T,r,ble 1)estimated that bears aged 0-2.5 repre- sented 79%of the population of females aged 3 or older,inclu- sion of 3-year old bears would make this percentage even higher. Another way to approach an estimate of the number of subadults is '- 30 -to multiply the calculated number of adult females accompanied by \ cubs and yearlings by :the mean litter size of cub and yearling ; litters (1.8 from Table 7),this provides an estimate of the number of-cubs and year~ings_in the spring population (Table 20). Assuming 50%mortality 0.£cub and yearling age classes (see "Table 9)the number of 12 and-3 year old bears would be less than 50%of the total numbe~of cubs and yearlings in the spring,a;..- value of 25%was arbit~arily chosen as an estimate the number of 2 and 3 year old bears (T~le 20). - -The range for the values for numbers I t6t~l spring population !. . of subadults is 131-409 estimate"using these with an intermediate value of 212 (Table20)i.It is noteworthy that the estimate for total number of adul1::s varied only 84%between.minimum and 'j maximum estimates but ~at the total population estimate varied ! 212%between minimum ~nd maximum estimates (Table 20).This change reflects the proportionally greater representation of females with cubs or /yearlings in the m-aximum estimate,this greater representation :is amplified when subadul ts are added in because the number o£subadults is a direct function of the number of females wi th cub or yearling offspring. Sources of error in the above estimate are numerous.The most serious sources are i~the estimates of (a)and (b)used in the above ec;iuation.These estimates can be improved,however I with additional data.The initial starting point of the ;bove calcu- lations·(the estimatio-n of the proportion for the adult popu- lation that is radio-marked)represents another source of poten- tially large error.The implicit assumption behind the calcu- lation of this value is that the probability of a radio-marked individual being seen with another radio-marked individual as opposed to a non-radio-marked.individual is equivalent to the proportions of these 2 groups in the population.This assumption is correct only if marked individuals are mixed with the popu- lation of unmarked individuals in an unbiased manner.I know that this is not the case because capture efforts have been 31 ,.... concentrated in the vicinity of Watana Creek l correspondingly 1 a bear living in the vicinity of Watana Creek would have a higher probabili tyof being seen with a marked individual than a bear living elsewhere in the study area.This bias would result in an .overestima~io:n of the proportion of the study area population that is marked and a corresponding underestimation of the size of the whole population.'These calculations are include.d in this report in illustration of the process that could be followed in deriving a population estimate from data based on associations of marked bears during the breeding season.The only indication of the validity of'the actual results obtained come from my subjec- tive impression that they are correct wi thiIi an order of magni- tude. Comparisons of these estimates with a more intensive spring densi ty estimate o£a bear/17 mi 2 (41 km 2)made in an adj acent area (Miller and Ballard 1983)are useful in evaluating the accuracy ofthis'estimate.The area occupied by the radio-marked bears is 4 1 392 km 2 if just the spring point locations are used (Fig..7)1 or 6 1 568 km 2 if the total 1983 home ranges are used (Fig.8).Density estimates based on the above population estimates using both of the area ,figures are presented in Table 22.The 1979 estimate of 1/41 km 2 (Miller and Ballard 1983) corresponds pretty well with the estimates derived from using the conservative parameters in the above population estimate.This may indicate that the 19"79 density estimate of 1/41 km 2 is conservative for the Susi tna dam study area. F.Brown Bear Denning Data. Characteristics of brown As previously·reported covered to delte would impoundments (Table 23). bear den si tes are given in Table 23. (Miller 1983)no brown bear dens dis- be inundated by the proposed Susi tna 32 During the winter of 1982/83,female 380 used a den (i101)which was a natural cavity,all other dens examined have been excavated .- (Table 23).Den 101 was in a crack under a large boulder lit could not be determined if this den had ·been previously used. G380 was shot in fall 1983 so this bear could not reuse den 101 in 1983/84,her den site in 1981/82 was unknown. - No reuse of brown bear den sites has been documented in thi s study although many bears tend to use the same location·in successive years (Table 24).A map of known brown bear den sites is given in Figure 8.Den entrance and emergence dates are given in Tables 25-28,these data are summarized in Table 29. 33 VIII.Resul ts and Oi scussion-Black Bears Following the May tagging effort 40 black bears were radio- collared,.half of these were in the downstream study area.No cubs or yearlings were marked in 1983.Currently 27 black bears are radio-marked including 13 in the downstream study area. During 1983,5 bears were known shot by hunters (367,374,410, 303,and 323),2 bears di sappeared and were suspected to have been shot (370,372,both females with cubs),J bears shed trans- mitters .(301,318~349),and 3 bears died (327,379,and 365). No black bears·were killed or died as a result of handling in 1983.Capture data.from 1980-198'3 are given'in Table 2.Numbers of point location obtained are given in Table 4. A.Sex and Age Composition of Study Animals-Black Bears. - The sex and age composition of the 14 remal.nl.ng radio-marked black bears in the upstream study area (all (3 years of age)was 7 males (401,346,358,359, 360,324,387),and 7 females (363, 354, 317,289,321, 329,361).In the downstream area 2 adult males (408,343)and 11 females (378,376,404,405, 411, 409, 406,402,377,369,375)are radio-marked.Ages of these bear can be obtained from Table 2.- B.Population Biology and Productivi ty-Black Bears. Miller (1983:68)predicted a pulse of cub production in 1983.'.-. based on the apparent berry failure in 1981.Of 19 radio- collared females,18 (95%)could potentially have had cubs in 1983 and 14 did (70%)(Table 29).B364,mi ssing at the end of 1982,was also listed as expecting cubs in 1983 but remained missing throughout 1983 so her status could not be verified. Three of the 4 bears that were expected to have cubs in 1983 but didn I t were 5 years old in 1983 and were listed as expecting their first litters in 1983 (363,367,369),the fourth (378)was a 7 year old female in 1983.These data may indicate that mean age of first litter production is older than 5.One bear at 34 ~. ..- ; age 5 did produce a litter in 1983 (377)but lost its cubs·by 19 May.One of the 5-year old females (363)that didn't produce a litter in 1983 may also have lost an unobserved litter early, the other 2 females were examined in their dens so it is certain they did not have cubs. The predicted 1984 reproductive status of 23'radio-marked females (including 4 missing bears)is given in Table 30.Excluding the missing bears,9 of 13 adul t(~5 )female·s (67%)·are -expected'to produce cubs in 1984.Identification of·a pulse in cub produc- tion in 1983 based on the 1981 berry failure is not strongly supported by these data.The data,however,may be confounded by a capture bias against females with newborn cubs.If such a bias exists,and this is considered likely,then a pulse in cub production by radio-marked females would be expected in the year following initial capture of these females,independent of any environmental factor.Additional data are needed before these hypotheses can be analyzed.Because of the initiation of the downstream study in 1982 and corresponding capture of many new females,this bias could have caused a pulse in cub production by radio-marked.females in 1983.It is also possible that the blueberry failure evident in the upstream area did not affect i bears in the downstream study area that are buffered by salmon and salmonberries unav~ilable to upstream bears. Black bears captured in the upstream study area included slightly more males than females while much the opposite was the case in the downstream.study area (Table 32).This difference may reflect heavier hunting pressure in the downstream area which is accessible to riverboats out of Talkeetna and has a resident p.opulation of homesteaders.The upstream area is accessible only by plane or,in a few spots,ATVs.Comparisons of age data for these 2 populations are generally consistent with this hypothesis (Table 32).Downstream males tended to be younger than upstream males although the differences were not significant and the reverse was the case for females (Table 32).Heavier harvest in 35 - r I r I the downstream study area is also supported by harvest rates of marked bears (Table 33),although sample sizes were small.Based on 100 marked-bears-years in the upstream areCl,13%have been harvested compared to 29%in-the downstream area (31 bear-years) (Table 33).Overall rate of harvest of marked bears in both areas was 14%(19%for marked males and 10%for marked females) (Table 33). Apparent natural mortalities of radio-marked black bears are presented in Table 34.Three natural mortalities of radio-marked bears .were recorded in 1983.Two of these were females with cubs,both were thought to have been killed by other bears (Table 34). Black bear litter size is presented in Tables 35 and 36.As would be expected mean litter size is largest for the sample counted in dens (2.5),smaller when den data are excluded (2.2) and smaller yet for yearling litters (1.9).These data indicate a progressive loss of subadul ts from birth through.separation from their mothers. Overall,40%of cubs were lost from litters of radio-collared females (excludes those cubs that were doubtless lost when their mothers'died).This percentage was higher in the upstream study area (54%)than in the downstream area (22%)(Table 37).This difference may reflect the marginal nature of the upstream habitat for black bears relative to the downstream habitat.This difference may also reflect the lower proportion of adult males in the more heavily hunted downstream population relative to the upstream population (Table 32);adult males may cause much of the cub mortality through intraspecific predation. Morphometries of black bear cubs and yearlings are give:;n in Tables 38 and 39. 36 ..... i ~ I, i C..Black Bear Density Estimates~ 1.Lincoln Index method.An aftempt to census the.black bear population using Lincoln Index ltechniques (Ricker 1975)on the ratio of marked to unmarked individuals observed during transect flights wa~made in spring 1986.A 'similar attempt in summer 1982 yielded a population estimate of 90 bears (47-172)ages 1 ;~~ year old or older in the upst~eam area (Miller 1983:58).The spring 1983 effort was·an attetupt to replicate this previous effort during spring condi ti~ns when a different set of i observability biases would exist.i l- i The technique was not successful in spring 1983.In the downstream study area half of i the sample units were counted, these contained 76%of available 'marked bears but no marked bears were seen (Table 40).Only 1 adult bear/hour of survey time was spotted.In the upstream area,10 (of 37)sample units.were .. counted,these contained 35%of available marked bears but only 1 marked bear was.seen (Table 41).Only 1 bear/146 minutes of flight time was seen prior to aborting this unstream census effort. The results of the summer 1982 census effort are given in Table 42 for comparison purpo.ses. 2.Home range of females method.In Minnesota,Rogers (1977) found that female black bears tended to occupy largely exclusive home ranges.Hugie (1982).found simi lar results in Maine but Lindzey and Meslow (1977)found overlapping home ranges in Washington.If home ranges do not overlap,an estimate of the number .of female adul t bears present could be obtained by parti tioning the available habitat into parcels that correspond to mean territory size and counting theae. 37 - \,.. - Annual home ranges of adult female black bears radio-collared·in this study revealed overlap (Figures 9-12).This overlap was especially evident in·1981 (Figure 10)when late summer berry crops failed and many bears made exceptional movements,appar- ently to compensate.Even in years of normal berry crops,how- ever,female annual home ranges overlapped·(Figures 9,11 and 12). OVerlaps between female home ranges were less marked when only spring data (1 April-s July.)were included.These data for "spring"were chosen because they precede the ripening of the berries and the corresponding movements of bears to areas of berry abundance.Figures 13-15 illustrate the annual spring home ranges of .radio-marked bears excluding locations at den sites. The area of these home ranges is given in Table 43a.The genetic relationship between these bears was unknown except for 329 which was the 3-year old offspring of 327 and overlapped extensively with 327 in-1983 (Figure 15).Spring home ranges defined in this manner overlapped less (Figures 13-l5)than did annual·home ranges but even these were clearly not exclusive (Figures 9-12). Even though annual or spring female home ranges are demonstrably not exc·lusive,an estimate of the number of bears the habitat could support can be obtained by assuming that the home ranges were exclusive.annual spring home ranges of 35 upstream female black bears (~3 years old)averaged 10.8 km 2 (Table 43a).The amount of black bear habitat in the upstream study area can be equated with the area of the sample units delineated during the census attempt,500 mi 2 or 1300 km 2 (Table 41).If this area were completely populated by black bear females 'wi th exclusive home ranges of 10.8 km 2 each,there would be space for 120 adult (~3 years)fl;.;...'.'~.·.·ales.Assuming equal sex ratios for adults there!-\ri, would also B:120 males present.Black bear females aged 3,4, ~.. and 5 are not all reproductively mature,bears in these age classes constitute an estimated 30%of females ~3 years old 38 I'"'' - --I leaving 80 females of reproductive age.Based on litter size data (Tables 35 .:and 36)each of these females would annually contribute about 1.0 cubs,and 0.8 yearlings.If there is a 50% mortality of yearlings each female would also annually contribute 0.4 two-year olds.Correspondingly,each of these 80 reproduc- tively mature females would annually contribute about 2.2 sub- adults «3 years)to 'the total population ~r.an additional 175 bears.Based on these calculations,.the estimated population based on these assumptions would be about 400 bears'.Based on the 506 mi 2 of black bear habitat present this would be a density of 1.3 mi 2 jbear.or.2.1 mi 2 /adult ~3 years.This estimate would be exaggerated by the degree to which the 500 mi 2 of habitat is incompletely occupiedi to the degree that the home ranges overlap thi s estima·te would be too low. This result can be compared wi th estimates obtained in other ways. Miller and McAllister (1982:93)roughly estimated a study area population of 340 black bears based on a Lincoln Index during the tagging operation in Au.gust 1980;this represented a density of 1.6 mi 2 jbear.The·summer 1982 Lincoln Index attempt yielded a corrected Lincoln Index and estimate of 126 bears (Miller 1983:59).My guess on the 1980 bear population in the study area was 150-200 bears (Miller 1982:59). ·My subjective impression of this'new estimate is that it·is too high.Part of the reason for this may be that all of the 500 mi 2 is not good spring habitat.Another possible reason for an overestimate is that the current population is suboptimal,below what the habitat could support.Miller (1983:58)noted that bear population appeared to have declined in the study area since the project started,this impression has been strengthened with the addition of 1983 studies. 39 -, - - - .- - - Possibly.this decline resulted from the poor 1981 berry crop. Regardless of where this population may be at the moment,an estimate of 400 black bears is a reasonable approximation of the number of black bears thehabi tat in the upstream study area could potentially support. D.Berry Abundance. Four transects designed to document changes in berry abundance between years were established in 1982 (Miller 1983).This procedure was replicated in 1983 although the exact same plots were not read,the plots read in 1983 were in the same general area,wi thin 100 feet,of those read in 1982.The results for both years·are given in Tab,le 47.As mentioned by Miller (1983), insufficient manpower was avai lable to sample enough plots to provide good documentation of true variability in berry abun- dance.Our samples were adequate,however,to provide some support for our subject interpretations of berry abundance (Table 48). E.Food Habi ts. Analyses of 42 bear scats collected in 1983 are presented in Table 49.Analyses of 33 scats collected preViously were pre- sented by Miller (1983,Table 11,page 45).As reported by Miller (1983)the predominant food in the scats collected on the s!t0res of sloughs where salmon were spawning in the downstream study area were berrieS?of Devil's club (Oplopanax horridus). Fish were even rarer in the 1983 scats (Table 49)than in the 1982 scats (Miller 1983)collected along the salmon-spawning sloughs.The difference in 1983 probably reflected the decreased- availability of salmon in 1983 because 1983 had the expected low, odd year,run of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha),ant...very high water in the Susi tna during much of the spawning period (Tables SO and 51).Regardless,of the absence of abundant pink salmon in the spawning sloughs,many radio-collared black bears 40 ".... - - ~ I moved to the vicinity of these sloughs during late summer 1983 as .t.."'ey did in 1982 (Table 51).These results support our tentative. . conclusions that these movements are more motivated by the preva- lence of devils club berries in the riparian habitats along the sloughs than by the presence of spawning salmon. Updated records on frequency of Susitna River crossings by radio-marked black bears are given in Table 5"2. Efforts to devise a technique using thin"layer chromotography on bile acids to "separate black.bear feces .from brown bear scats were unsuccessful.Results of this study are reported in Appendix 1. F.Black Bear Den and Denning Characteristics Characteri sties of black bear dens observed during winters of 1980/81 through 1983/84 are given in Table 53..The known history of use of individual dens is presented in Table 54.In March and April 1983 1 13 dens previously used by radio-marked black bears were inspected.Eight of these were vacant,3 (numbers 10,9, and 7)were occupied by radio-marked bears,one (#19)was occupied by an unmarked bear,and one was collapsed~Seven of the vacant dens revisited were dug dens,the other (#19)was a natural cavity.History of den use by individual marked black bears i s given in Table 55. Twenty-six dens used at least once by a radio-collared black bear have been found in the vicinity of the Watana Impoundment,15 (58%)of these will be inundated by the .impoundment.By compari- son on],y 1 of the 21·dens found in the vicinity of the Devils Canyon impoundment will be inundated by the proposed impoundment (Table 54). Den entrance and emergence dates for radio-marked black bears are given in Tables 56 and 57 for 1982/83 and 1983/84 respectively. Data for previous years was given in Miller (1983). 41 - - - .~ - - Locations of black bear den sites are given in Figure 16 for the upstream study area and in Figure 17 for the downstream study area. 42 ~, - - ..- - - - - IX.REFERENCES CITED Ballard,Warren B.,Sterling D.Miller and Ted H.Spraker.1982. Home'Range,.Daily Movements,and Reproductive Biology of Brown Bear in Southcentral Alaska.Canadian Field-Naturalist 96(1):1-5. Hugie,Roy Dean.1982.Black Bear Ecology and Management in the Northern Conifer-Deciduous Forests of Maine.Ph~D~Thesis, .Univ.of Montana,203pp. Lindzey,Fredrick G.and E.C.Meslow.1977.Home range and habi tat use by black bears in southwestern Washington.J. Wildl.Manage.41(3):413-425. Miller,Sterling D.and Warren B.Ballard.1982.Density and Biomass Estimates for an Interior Alaskan Brown Bear,Ursus arctos,Population.Canadian Field-Naturalist 96(4):448-454 . Miller,Sterling D.and Dennis C.McAllister.1982.Big Game Studies,Vol.VI Black Bear and Brown Bear.Susitna Hydro- electric Project Phase I Final Report (March 1982).Alaska Department of Fish and Game.233pp.,(mimeo). 1983.Big Game Studies,Vol.VI Black Bear and Brown Bear.Susitna Hydroelectric Project Phase II Progress Report (April 1983).Alaska Dept.of Fish and Game.99pp., (mimeo). Ricker,.W.E.1975.Computation and interpretation of biological statistics of fish populations ..Department of the Environment Fisheries and Marine Services,Ottawa, Bulletin 191.382 pages. 43 Rogers,Lynn L. Population Minnesota. - - - _. ,.... , - 1977.Social Relationships,Movements,and Dynamics of Black Bears in Northeastern Ph.D.Thesis,Univ.of Minn.194pp" Strathearn,S.M.,J.S.Lotimer,G.B.Kolenosky,and W.M. Lintack.In press.An expanding break-away radio-collar for black bears.J.Wildl.Manage. 44 .... - -I - - "... -I APPENDIX I DIFFERENTIATION OF BROWN BEAR AND BLACK BEAR.SCATS: AN EVALUATION OF BILE ACID DETECTION BY THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY BY ENID A.GOODWIN ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME MARCH.I 1984 4S .- - - - DIFFERENTIATION OF BROWN BEAR AND BLACK BEAR SCATS: AN EVALUATION OF BILE ACID DETECTION BY THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY SUMMARY 4 A thin-layer chromatographic technique for separation and detec- tion of fecal bile acids was evaluated for-use in differentiation of black bear scats from brown bear scats.Fe~al·samples from 21 known black bears and 20.known brown bears were tested.Bile samples from 4 -black bears and 3 brown bears were al so examined using TLC.Statistical analysis of,Rf values obtained from the fecal samples indicated no significant difference between brown bear and black bear chromatogr'ams.The numbers of bile samples were too small for statistical analysis,but indications of possible differences were noted.Variations among individuals wi thin a species was documented,as were significant variations ,within individuals.Variations were hypothesized to be primarily caused by dietary influences on bile acid production mechanisms. Pigment removal methods were also evaluated.Alkaline distilled water was found to be effective in removing berry pigments,while hexane was a preferred ..solvent for removal of other types of plant pigments. INTRODUCTION Identifications of scat samples is an integral aspect of food habit studies,and particularly so when the'studies involve similar and sympatric species.Identification of scat samples presents a maj or .problem when the species under study.are as similar as ..brown bears (Ursus arctos)and black bears (Ursus americanus ) •All too frequently,scats from one are impossible to visually differentiate from the other.This problem,as it relates to the work being done in the Susi tna Hydroelectric Project Big Game Studies,was what prompted the study reported here. 46 I _._-.........;----------------------------------------- ,.... ,.... - studies of bear movements (Miller,1982;Miller,1983)in the vicinity of proposed impoundments of the Susi tna Hydroelectric (Su-Hydro)Project indicate that black bears spend the majority of the year in areaS that will be flooded.Potential impacts on brown bears are less clear.While the brown bear population spends most of its time outside the impoundment areas,there seems to be a directed movement,by males #and females without newborn cubs,toward the impoundment impact ar.ea in early spring. It was hypothesized that availability of over-wintered berries and emergent.vegetation on south-facing"slopes,as well as the presence of winter-killed or weakened ungulates may be the motivation for this brown bear movement (Miller,1982),and that these foods might be more available in areas that would be inundated than those that would remain unflooded.investigators sought to test this hypothesis by determining what foods are being utilized by brown bears through scat analysis,then assess- ing t1?-e availability of the same foods in other alternative areas that would not be inundated. A key to this approach'was'the ability to differentiate brown bear scat samples t:rom those of black bears.Since visual examination of the scats is not feasible for reliable identifica- tion,some other methop.was needed.Maj or et al.(1980)reported that just such a method had been developed.It was an analytic method using a technique known as Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) to differentiate substances known to occur in vertebrate feces called bi Ie acids .. Bile acids are·large molecular weight acids,re~ated to steroids, which are necessary for the intestinal digestion and absorption of"dietary fat (Casdorph,1976)'.Bile acids are produced in the liver and in the intestines,are stored in the bile,are gener- ally distributed where needed by mean~of the enterohepatic circulation,and are found in small amounts in the digestive tract (Nes and McKean,1977;Casdorph,1976;Carey,1982).Ac- cording to Nes and McKean (1977),"there are about two dozen 47 ------------------~---------------'------------------ ..... .... ..... natural representatives of bile acids,differing in the number and position,of the nuclear hydroxyl groups and in the extent of oxidation and degradation of the side chain.Certain bile acids are unique to a few families and suborders,e.g.,IS and ~-muri­ cholic.aci~in the Murinae,phocaecolic acid in the Pinnipedia, and hyocholic acid in the,Suidae."Conjugates of bile acids, known as bile salts,also occur in the digestive tracts of vertebrates,and in mammals,certain groups tend to predominate, wi tli omnivores "(including Ursidae)having a mixture 'of all the .bile salt groups present in more limited degrees and kinds in herbivores and 'carnivores (Nes and McKean,1977).The presence of these bile salts is additionally complicated by extensive microbial catabolism within the digestive tract,producing a potentially vast array of fecal acidic steroids (M..C.Carey, M.D.,Harvard·Medical School;Br:igham and,Women's Hospital, Gastroenterology Division,75 Francis Street,Boston,Mass. 02115;1983.Personal Communication). Exactly which fecal bile acids are produced in bears is unknown, although there is speculation that like man,bears produce only two primary bile acids:cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid (Carey,1983,pers.comm.i).Primary bile acids are those formed!' from cholesterol in the liver.Intestinal bacteria form secon- ,dary bile acids from primary bile acids (such as deoxycholic from cholic and lithocholic from'chenodeoxycholic acid in man).Ter- tiary bile acids are formed both'in the liver and by intestinal bacteria from secondary bile acids and are comprised of their glycine and'taurine conjugates (Carey,1982). Thin'layer chromatography (TLC)is a fairly sensitive analytic technique involving the phenomenon of,parti tion,the equili- bration of a substance between two phases that are not mutually miscible.TLC utilizes a system in which a liquid is allowed to move by surface tension through and along a thin layer of solid (Nes and McKean,1977).This widely used technique has been applied by'several researchers to investigate the bile acids 48 .... .... .... present in the feces ofa number of different mammals (Roscoe and Fahrenbach,1963;Johnson,et al.,197.9;Major,et al.,1980;. Goodwin and Miller,1983i·Welsh and Picton,1983).There are some limitations inherent wi thin the technique itself,however, that must be considered when evaluating results obtained from its use ..Reproducibility is so difficult to achieve with this tech- .-.,. nique that it is often used as a qualitative ~ethod only.Use of internal standards may alter this aspect of i~,but by and large, results obtained in one laboratory are difficult to·achieve·in another.Factors affecting reproducibility include thickness of the layer of sorbent on the TLC plate,moisture content 9f the sorbent,chamber saturation,temperature,depth of developing phase,nature of the sorbent,pH of the sorbent,·pH of the devel- oping phase,sample size,solvent parameters,and relative humid- i ty,to name a few.Some of·these factors may be controlled (such a.s sorbentthickness,sample size,pH of developing phase), others may not (chamber saturation,relative humidity,te~pera­ ture). Extraneous problems,more related to the sample itself,may also affect reproducibi li ty.In our case,samples containing plant pigments of one sort or another exerted a I1 masking l1 effect,and in some cases so much so,that results were initially rendered usel.ess. METHODS· SAMPLES AND TREATMENTS Fecal samples from 22 known black bears (BLB)and from 21 known brown bears (BRB)were used in this study.Table 1 lists the number and types .of samples used.Brown bear scat samples were obtained from Su-Hydro research animals or their dens,as well as from the McNeil River viewing area.Black bear scat samples came from study bears in the Kenai Moose Research Center area,from Su-Hydro study bears,from hunters in Game Management Unit 14A, 49 ,. acid,cholic acid methyl - ~ I - - and from research bears in the Fairbanks area.Bile samples from 4 BLB and 3 BRB were also obtained for use in this study. Fecal samples were.oven dried (50~C),pulverized by hand using a ·mortar and pestle,and extracted by allowing 1.0 9 to soak for 24 hrs·.in 17 ml of 1:1 benzene-methanol.The.supernatant was decanted,filtered through coarse filter paper,and E!vaporated. The concentrated residue was redissolved -in 0 ..5 ml 1:1 benzene- methanol and spotted on activated (oven:'dried,120oC for 1 hr) glass TLC plates,using micropipettes.Sample sizes varied from 5-60p1#depending upon pigment content and initial loading characteristics.Appendix I lists equipment and chemicals used in this study. Bile samples were stored frozen after removal by syringe from gall bladders.1.0 ml of the thawed liquid bile was diluted in 17 ml 1:1 benzene-methanol#allowed to stand at room temperature...,. for 24-hrs,filtered,and evaporated as described above.Bile samples were redissolved in 0.5 ml benzene-methanol and applied to TLC plates,in the same manner as the other samples.Two of the BLB bile samples were also applied without any treatment with solvents to p~ovide a controlled comparison. Standards used were:-choles:terol,chenodeoxycholic acid,lithocholic acid,deoxycholic acid,cholic -,,",,-~::: ester,and dehydrocholic acid.Pure standard solutions were prepared by di ssolving 0.5 mg per ml in 1:1 benzene-methanol and' spotting onto TLC plates.A mixed standard solution was prepared by .di ssolving 5 mg of each standard in 10 ml 1:1 benzene- methanol,then combining the resultant 10 ml aliquots. Pigmentation of extracted fecal samples presented a major obsta- cle in obtaining chromatograms with clarity and spot resolutiol. Major et ale (1980)used activated charcoal as a solution to the pigment problem,as did Roscoe (1963).Johnson et al.,(1979) however,in applying Major's method to bobcat scats,found that 50 r- I - 1:;.1 (~ ! -- ""'" -. ..... bile acids were removed when activated charcoal was used.Our preliminary trials resulted in similar findings,with the added feature of artifacts on the chromatogram when charcoal had been used in the extraction process. Two major types of bear fecal samples present the greatest -~ pigmentation problem:(1)those containing primarily plant -fiber such as grasses and sedges,and (2)tho"secontaining berries. Four of -the -BRB samples -containing up to 100%·piant matter were subjected to four different treatments to test for pigment remov~l.DrieC!-and pulverized aliquots were (a)allowed to soak in 125 ml hexane for 24 hrs,removed by vacuum filtration from the solvent,and air dried;(b)allowed to soak in 125 ml chloro- ,)... form -for 24 hrs,removed by vacuum filtration from "the solvent before air drying;(c)washed over a vacuum with 125 ml hexane and air dried or (d)washed over a vacuum with 125 ml cholorform and air dried.All samples were then extracted and spotted on _TLC plates as described above. Two BLB sample aliquots having an extremely high berry content were soaked in 25 ml pH S distilled H2 0 (pH adjusted with 1.0 N NaOH)for 2 hrs,then washed over a vacuum with 2 L pHS H2 0. Samples were air dried overnight-and extracted in the same fashion as described above. Removal of pigments from berry-laden fecal samples by soaking followed by washing with slightly basic pH water produced satis- factory result-so While some residual "streaking"of pigmented material up the plate still occurred,the density of the pigmen- tation was diminished enough to allow individual spots and visibly different color reactions to be seen under 366 nm light. Of the two solve:i.its tested for removal of plant pigments other than berries,hexane was deemed the more desirable.Both soaking in hexane and washing in hexane removed large amounts of the typical red-orange fluorescing pigment found in the plant-laden 52 - feces.Chloroform soaking also removed significant amounts'of pigment~but seemed to remove bile acids as well.Hexane did not do so to such an extent as the chloroform.Of the two treatments (soaking or washing)with hexane,soaking seemed to remove the most amount of interfering pigment,although with hexane as the solvent,either treatment produced acceptable results.In the case of chloroform as"a pigment-removing "soivent,simply washing the fecal samples over a vacuum did not remove enough pigment to allow satisfactory differentiation of TLC spots'or colors under u.v. TLC plates containing samples were allowed to develop in equili- brated paper lined tanks c:ontaining Petcoff's solution:hexane, methyl ethyl ketone,acetic acid 56:36:8 (V/V)(Chavez,1976). After drying,·the plates were visualized using a fresh solution of acetic acid:sulphuric acid:p-anisaldehyde,50:1:0.5 (V/V) and placed in a 120 0 C oven for up to 5.minutes (Kri tchevsky et al.,1963).Spraying the plates with the visualizing 'solution provided inconsistent and unsatisfactory results.It was found that dipping the plates in the fresh visualizing solution pro- duced much higher quality chromatograms and uniformity of back- ground.Colored spots appear against a tan-to-pink background.: After drying,plates .were examined under room light and 366 run u.V.light.Plates were photographed wi thin 15 minutes of removal from visualizing solution·to provide a permanent color record of the plates,as·they tend to fade rapidly as well as undergo color changes with the passage of time.All photographs were taken I using a 35 mm SLR camera fitted with a 50mm Macrolens, and using a Wratten Gel Filter 2a mounted on a filter holder in front of the lens.Photographs were taken at "30-,60-,and 90-second exposures at F4,using 366 run ultraviolet light onto Kodak Ektachrome ER 135 ASA 64 film (Jackson,1965).Rf values were calculated by measuring the distance from the origin to the center of a given spot,then dividing this by the distance from the origin to the so 1 vent front. 53 I - .- 1""'" I RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Probably the most important aspect "to be taken into consideration in the assessment of our results is that of sample size.As . stated previouslYI we used fecal samples from 21 known BLB and 20 known BRB.This is in extreme contrast to the number of samples tested by Welsh and "Picton·(1983)who 'used 2.known BLB and 2 knownBRB fecal samples I along with 2 unknowns I and with our own earlier work (Goodwin and Miller l 1983)which utilized only 2BRB and 3 BLB samples.Because of the larger number of known sam- ples l we were able to look more inte~sively at variations between individuals as well as at the potential differences between Ursus arctos and Ursus americanus. Visual examination of the fluorescing scat ~hromatogramsl focus- ing on proximal Rf's and similarity of color hues l revealed no consistent differences between scats of black bears and scats of brown bears.InevitablYI a few individuals would exhibit pres- ence or absence of colored spots seemingly missing or present in a majority of samples from the same species.Eventually it became apparent that a statistical analysis of all Rf's obtained from all the scats analyzed would be the only reliable and .comprehensible way to evaluate the potential differences between the bile"acid production of the two species of·bears.To this end l a chi square test was applied.The null hypothesis that there was no significant difference between the scats of brown bear and black bear could not be rejected (p=0.5125).Figures 1A and 1B are schematic representations of the Rf values obtained on chromatograms of four typical BRB and four BLB I respectively.Rf values from standards mixtures are shown as well.The fact of variability among individuals within a species is"readily appar- ent from these figures. Figure 2 is a schematic representation of Rf values obtained from fecal samples which illustrate another I perhaps even more impor- tant l source of variability in bile acid production:that which 54 - ..., occurs within a given individual.The single fecal sample obtained from BRB 321 was composed of two adjoining but quite distinctly different types of-material.The scat was separated into two parts on the basis of this difference and chromatograms were run on each part.BRB 321A is the chromatogram obtained from that portion of the scat which contained some hair ,a large proportion of unidentifiable amorphous material (presumably of animal origin given the presence of·the hair),and a small amount of undigested·plant fibers.BRB 321B is the chromatogram from that portion of·the scat containing primarily plant fibers.The schematics of the chromatograms show distinct differences in Rf values.The chromatograms themselves showed these differences as weIl,notably in the numbers of spots detectable and the colors displayed under ultraviolet light.BRB 321A showed '4 more spots and more varied·color reactions than did 321B ,with spots fluo- ;-escing lavender I bright blue ,and blue green I for instance , under the U.V.BRB 321B exhibited mostly red-orange hues along the entire chromatogram , a characteristic typical of fecal samples containing high percentages of plant fiber. Figure 2 also shows the schematic of Rf values obtained from fecal samples removed from the den of BRB 308B (taken on 5-28-81) and later from this same bear at its death as a capture mortality (8-6-81)~While thes~two fecal·samples are more similar than those of BRB 321,there remains a distinct chromatographic difference I a verification of the variability possible within a given individual with respect to production of bile acids and related steroids.Color differences seen on the chromatograms under ultraviolet light accentuated this variation.The den sample showed a large spot at Rf=O.38 which fluoresced a bright robin's egg blue.The death sample showed a smaller I fainter spot at Rf=0.37 which fluoresced pale lavender.This same sample showed a·brown spot at Rf=O.010 whic>..was not present in the den sample I while the den sample had two pale blue spots (Rf=0.19 and 0.26)which were not vi sible in the other sample . 55 Ii ]'l ],1 l 1 I 1 J j, '·'1 •~IfI e:s c:::>;',c::::::>.-e:::t ' c:::=>c:=::J C!:::)c=>c::::>c:::::::» c:>c:=:>e::::-.c:::>0,'I c:::> o.q ..c::::> c:>c::> c=>B c::>c:::> 0,&I c::::::::»c:::::>0.6.c:>c::» <=> ',',:..C=>c:> C>bvr~""~c:::::>c:::::>e"•••"..... c::::»'"'1.c:::> ............. , D·lI c=:>c:::::».C:=:>c::::::> c:::> <=:) c::::>c:::::>C::>.,I c::::-c::::=> c:::>0 ....•·..""' ,c:::::::>0 .....·._ c::::»c:::> ,c=> 0·C.1 '';\.C:::::::>. c=>c:::>c:::::::>c:::> e::;:,~;_.c:::>c:>,.....- c:>C>c=>c:::>"..• e::::::> !.,•0:51 c::::>c:> if;c:::>"•'toc::::»,c:::>~'1 c:::>c:::::> '-'" ,01"r c::::.c::>c:=:>c:::» cY c::><;:::>I 0·,1 c::::>c:=:>e::::::> c::>c:::::::»C::::>c=> c::::::.c::::;:).<:::b', c:::::::>~,c::::> ~ 4\31 c::::::>0.:1 c:::>..............,.. c::::>c:::>c::::>':::tI'-,C::=:>'''. c:::>c:::>y:r c:::>c:>c:::>C:::>'l...~\:..... c::J.c::::>C;)::.~,-:t (c=>C:::>1:'~~:'m;,,.c:::::::. 0.2.1 e=:>02.' " c::>,c::::> c:::>c:>c:> c::::>c::::>6 <=:)~ 0.,I c:::>,0.1c==>,c ••w,..T.c::::>c:::>CIl-..... c=>c::>....':"1....c:> .............~ c::>-.........e=:>c:>c........,...• 0 ell 0 l y ........',,,,'.lOY""""'-»-1'1 FIGURE lAo Schematic of Rf values of four typical ,brown FIGURE lB.Schematic of Rf values of four typica~ bear fecal samples and standards mixtu~e.black bear fecal samples and .standar~~mixture. 1 1 J I I \.'1 .1.,'l -i 1 1 1 i 1 I ••-c::=J c:::»<==Jl e:;:,c:=:>.... 0;"r c:::>c:=><::::JI .~ ·8 c:=::>c:::::> <::::JI ~" 0.8 1 c::::>~c::::::>c::> ".............c::::::>~c::::>c::::>::;0:1."c:::::»c=:> 0.71 c::::>I <=>I .... <::::>c:::::> r·.........LC:> c::::::::::».. Ol-e:=> ~':':;.~,.&c::::>~ c:>c:> ". 05 1 c:::>~ iJ'4-(;i'C:>~I ./ :...c:> 0'1'e:;::t c:::>c::::::>. 1 c::::>FIGURE 2.Schematic of Rf values of .fecal c::::>c:>c:>e:;::t samples ~ro~two individual bears. Gst,·,j ·_... c=:> BLB 32lA and BLB 3218 repre~ent two ......c:::><:::>distinct pro~ions,of one scat.Portion J~~:-;'.•C:>c:>c:::>(A)contains,halt,amorphous matter, ~,and small amounts of pl~nt fiber. tIIla..·•••,...Portion (8)contains primarily plant,............G.a c:::> c:::;:::>c:::>fibers.. c::>c:::>c::::> c::>.~B~B 308B(DEN)was taken from s~ats . 0.,I (..M.I"..e·,c::::>c::::>c:::..removed from this Su-Hydro research -::::1"c:::::>bear's den.BRB 3088 (DEATH)was a (III.LtC....,.c:>c=::»fecal sample re~oved from the bear's carcass at the time of its death as o'Sf••;•••,ele 8L11 •BRB BiB a capture mortality. "''''S1.1 a~1 •30.6 3Cll6 C't (8)'(bll..)(D ......) ~. ."., .~ - - - ~ I - The variation in fecal bile acids among individuals wi thin a species,as well as the variation over time within an individual, is not surprising.The large number of fecal acidic steroids produced by microbial catabolism within the digestive tract would' suggest just such a phenomenon in both cases.However,several other factors also affect the production of fecal bile acids. These factors have been investigated only ~to a limited extent even in man,so any conclusions are necessarily speculative, particularly when extrapolated to the even greater unknown regions of,Ursine functions.The trends,however,are worth noting,and must be taken into consideration in evaluating bile acid production. Age and weight,not surprisingly,seem to affect p'roduction of fe,calbile acids (Miettenen,T .A."1973),with increasing body weight correlat'ing positively'with an increase in fecal'bile acids,and age correlating negatively.The third factor,and possibly the most significant from our'standpoint,is that of diet.The amount and kind of fiber (nutritive or non-nutritive) and the amount and ki,nd of fats and related plant sterols present in the diet can increase or de~rease,through various mechanisms, the production of fecal bile acids (Nes and McKean,1977;Nair and Kri tchevsky,1976;Grundy,1976).It would seem unlikely, then,that the identification of closely related species based on quci.ntifi'cation of fecal bile acids would be feasible,particu- larly in omnivores such as the two under study here.Scat analy- sis of both brown and black bears has demonstrated the presence of plant matter,including'up to twelve different species of berries,a variety of grasses,sedges,lichens,Equisetum spp, and animal matter including moose,hare and ground squirrel, fish,birds,and insects (Miller,1983;Miller,1984.).A pre- dominance of one'or another in the diet would be expected to produce differing amounts of fecal bile acids,these ,~mounts fluctuating over time in response to the correspondent dietary content changes.' 58 -. - - .... Chromatograms obtained from bile samples were "cleaner"in terms of numbers of compounds exhibited,and in terms of apparent differences between species,although our sample size (3 BRB and 4 BLB)was too small to provide any significant information. Figure 3 shows'Rf values,.schematically represented,of the bile samples,along with those of the standards mixture.The relative "purity"of the bile samples is to be expected:only a few bile acids (and related steroids)are produced in the liver,compared to the large number of possible conjugates produced by the bacte- rial intermediaries of the gut (Carey,1983'.Pers.comm.). Tentative identification of bi le acids in the bi le samples were made,based on comparisons of a combination of proximal Rf values and color .reactions under 366 nm ultraviolet light with those' known bile acids arid steroids in the standards mixture.It must be kept in mind.that these are in no way definite identifica- tions;rather,they are highly subjective evaluations which may or as well may not hold up to more rigorous chemical identifica- tion procedures. A blue-green spot,similar in hue to that shown by the choles- terol standard,and at a proximal Rf (Cholesterol=0.63),appeared.i in all three brown bear bile chromatograms (Rf's=0.63,0.63,and 0.64).One BLB sampl.e showed a spot at Rf=0.65,but it ·fluo- reseed a pale orange,and most likely is not the same material as those in the BRB samples. Other differences between the bile samples remain less clear. However,it does seem that compounds having Rf between 0.37 and 0.64 seem to be singularly lacking in BLB bile samples,while that space on a BRB chromatogram is amply fi lled"Of the 4 BLB biles examined,none showed spots having these Rf's,and only two were at the edge (i.e.,.RF=O.36 aI.j 0.65),while the 3 BRB bi les displayed a total of 9 spots in this range.Similarly,BRB bile did not seem to have spots occurring above Rf=O.71 (with one exception at 0.88 in one sample),.while within the 4 BLB biles,7 59 1 '}"1 1 -t i »'I j .,....10." l~:'.0 , .,8.0 0 '0 0,"".'10.• 0 0 0 !-.....'0' 0 0 6 ,0 0 °.:"'11." ....1 0 10•• G 0 0 0 ~'...IUl"10.."...,.0 0.0 0~'I'''''l:.w.. • '......., ~.., :'r,I 0 I) ,h,~ ""1 I '10·.. i . 0 0 0 •0 0.11 0 0 0 il.i 0 ;o\1::1~C.IO 0 a 0 OffJt!.r..a; 0 OCMtM04, O.aI ""lin'':.....' ·0 0 0'0 0 0 0 .. ...11 0 8 C>dY:ili.....Io ••00 0 8 '8 "§.~•4Jfr ... 0 0 0 O~NOUC.0 0 "I" o I j I. &L6'",A 15&:6..,,,.&L.6 Ih·e ~~l~e1R.S elite 'l'AH04W 81'"Go-N·S 3.".t(.OO·'A"-2AtS •""1'1'1.1 aM .', FIGURE 3.Scbe~atic of Rf values of bile samples and standards mixture. - - -1 spots \occur above the 0.71 designation.In general,the BRB biles phowed twice as many spots on the chromatograms as did the BLB biles (BRB average=12 spots,n=3;BLB average=6 spots,n=4). Again,!we did not presume to make absolute statements about the identity.of steroids showing up on the bile TLC plates,noting only s~milarities and apparent trends. It is iunfortunate,but not surprising,that TLC analysis of the ; bear ~ecal samples did not provide such'nice differences as did i- the bi.jle·samples.While we cannot unequivocally state that no signi£lcant differences exist between the·fecal bile acid pro-f . files lof brown bears and black bears,we do feel'that thisI. partic?lar method of analysis,subject as it is to the artifacts and va~aries of technique and the masking effects of·'diet coupled with individual variation,does not provide a reliable means of differentiating Ursus arctos from Ursus americanus.It is entiretY possible that other solvent systems,or modifications of the chromatographic principle (two-dimensional TLC;serial elution;gas chromatography I etc.)may be applied in a more... successful fashion.Certainly the specific effects of diet on the fecal bile acid profile of bears warrant further investiga- tions,as does the problem we initially attempted to solve. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Appreciation is expressed to Jonathan"Lewis of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)for his excellent laboratory assistance; to Dennis McAllister,Larry Aumiller and Dr.Charles Schwartz (all of ADF&G)for provision of samples;and to Dr.Sterling D. Miller (ADF&G)for his suggestions and support.This study was supported in part by funds from the Alaska Power Authori ty . 61 - AP:PENDI~1.A:MANUFACTURERS OF SUPPLIES USED IN TLC STUDY MCB MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS,INC. P.O.Box 7203 2121 South Leo Avenue Los Angeles,CA 90022 J.T.BAKER CHEMICAL COMPANY Phillipsbur.g,N.J.08865 SIGMA CHEMICAL COMPANY P.O.Box 14508 St.Louis,MO 63178 SUPELCO,INC. Supelco Park Bellefonte,PA 16823 SCIENTIFIC MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES (SMI) Emeryville,CA 94608 OSTER CORPORATION Milwaukee,Wisconsin WHATMAN LTD. London,England VWR SCIENTIFIC,INC. P.O.Box 3551 Seattle,WA 98124 W.A.HAMMOND DRIERITE COMPANY Xenia,Ohio 62 - - ~. - - - APPENDIX I.A:(CONTINUED) ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS,INC. San Gabriel,California. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY Rochester,N.Y.·14650 PENTAX CORPORATION 9 Inverness Drive East Englewood,'CO 80112 E.M.SCIENCE 2909 Highland Ave ~ Cincinnati,Ohio 45212 63 .~.. APPENDIX Ie B:SUPPLIES AND SPECIFICATIONS USED IN TLC STUDY ITEM CHOLESTEROL CHENODEOXYCHOLIC ACID CHOLIC ACID • LITHOCHOLIC ACID DEOXYCHOLIC ACID SPECIFICATIONS 1)Sigma CH-S; Chromatography standard; Grade 99+% 2)Supelco #4-5000 Supelco #4-6507;98%&99% 1)Sigma C-1129;from bile; 99-100%;3-7-12-trihydro cholanic acid;cholalic acid • 2)Supelco #4-6500 1)Sigma a-6250;5S-cholinic acid-3a-01;3a-hydroxy-5S- cholanic acid. 2)Supelco #4-6515 1)Sigma 0-2510;Grade II; 7-deoxycholic acid. 2)Supelco #4-6504 MANUFACTURER* *See Appendix IA SIGMA SUPELCO SUPELCO SIGMA SUPELCO SIGMA SUPELCO SIGMA· SUPELCO CHOLIC ACID METHYL Methyl cholate;Sigma C-3508 ESTER SIGMA DEHYDROCHOLIC ACID Sigma #0-3750 64 SIGMA APPENDIX I.B:(CONTINUED) DESSICATOR STORAGE Lucite;S"x9"x10" CABINET - ..- I, - ITEM GLACIAL ACETIC ACID BENZENE 2-BUTANONE HEXANE METHANOL p-ANISALDEHYDE SULFURIC ACID CHLOROFORM SAMPLE SPOTTING AND QUANTITATING TEMPLATE SPECIFICATIONS 1)Reagent Grade,A.C.S. tAX73-14 2)BPLC:reagent;JT 9515-3 1).Glass distilled, omnisolv;BX212 2)HPLC reagent;JT 9149-3 Methylethyl Ketone; OInnisolv;BX1673 BPLC reagent;Non-UV; Omnisolv;HX298 1)Omnisolv;MX488 2)HPLC reagent;JT 9093-3 AX1525 2239 96.1%;JT 9681-3 Reagent grade;Jt 91S0-3 Lucite;20xmx20cm 65 MANUFACTURER?"· .MCB J.T.BAKER MCB J.T.BAKER MCB MCB MCB J.T.BAKER MCB J.T.BAKER J.T.BAKER SMI SMI APPENDIX I.B:(CONTINUED) tilli/iI/§ - - - ITEM OSTER AIRJET DRYER DEVELOP~NT TANK LINERS FILTER PAPERS DESSICATOR MICROPIPETTE ULTRAVIOLET LAMP CAMERA.... MACROLENS GEL FILTER GLASS DEVELOPING TANKS SPECIFICATIONS Model 202;120v,460W l , 0.3mm Chromatography lpaper, Medium flow rate;47~75 cm. . Grade 613;Coarse Anhydrous indicating Faso4 j 1.0,2.0,5.0,and 10j.Opl; disposable tips 1)Blak-Ray Lamp;Model UVL-21;Long-wave'366nm; .11Sv,0.16 amps. 2)Mineralight Lamp;Model UvSL-2S;Multi-band Uv-254/ 366nm;115v,O.16 amps. 35mm;Pentax Spotmatic; Single Lens Reflex 50mm;F4;Takumar Wratten 2A;75x75mm approx.7x26x28 cm; glass lids 66 MANUFACTURER* -OSTER WHATMAN VWR DRIERITE SUPELCO .ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS PENTAX ASAHI/PENTAX EASTMAN KODAK VWR APPENDIX I.B:(CONTINUED) - - - ...... I - ITEM TLC PLATES SPECIFICATIONS Pre coated glass;Silica Gel 60rum pore diameter;0.25mm layer;fluorescence indicator; 20 x 20 cm. 67 MANUFACTURER* ,E.M REAGENTS Carey,M.C. In:The Popper,D. New York.- ,.... LITERATURE CITED Casdorph,H.R.1976.Cholestyramine and ion-exchange resins. p.221-2SS IN:Medicinal Chemistry,Vol.III Lipid Pharma- cology;R.Paoletti and C.J.Glueck,Eds.,Academic Press, New York. 1982.The Enterohepatic Circulation.Chapt.27 Liver:Biology.and Pathobiology;I.'Arias,H. -. Schacter,and D.A.Shafritz,Eds.Raven Press, " Chavez,M.N.and C.I.Krone.1976. chromatography of conjugated and Res.17:54S~S47. Silicic'acid thin layer free bile acids.J.Lipid .- i ..... Goodwin,E.and S.Miller.1983.Preliminary results testing technique to chemically differentiate between scats of black and brown bear.Appendix 6.in:Susi tna Hydroelectric Project.Phase I Final Report,Big Game Studies,Volume VI Black B'ear and Brown Bear. Grundy,S.M.1976.-Dietary and drug regulation of cholesterol metabolism in man.p.127-1SS"in:Medicinal Chemistry Volume III Lipid Pharmacology;R.Paoletti and C.J.Glueck, Eds.Academic Press,N.Y. Haslewood,G.A.D.1967.Bile Salts.Methuen and Co.Ltd., London.116pp. Jackson,R.1965.Color recording of ultraviolet fluorescence in thin-layer chromatoqrams.J.Chromatog.20:410-413. Kri.tchevsky,D.,D.S.Martak,and G.·H.Rothblat.1963. Detection of ,bile acids in thin-layer chromatography.Anal. Biochem.S:338-392 . 68 - - LITERATURE CITED (CONTINUED) Johnson I M.K.I D.R.Aldred l E.W.Clinite l and M.J.Kutilek .. 1979.-Biochemical identification of bobcat scats.In: Bobcat Research Conference Proceedings I Current Research on Biology and Management of Lynx rufus.October 16-18 1 1979. National Wildlife"Federation Scientific and Technical Series 5 . ..... Maj or I M.I M.K.Johnson I and W.s. scats by·recovery of bile acids. 1980. Davis.1980.Identifying J.Wildl.Manage.44(1): Miettineri l T.A.1975.Methods for evaluation of hypolipidemic drugs in man:mechanisms of their action.p.83-125 In: Medicinal ChemistrYI Volume III Lipid PharmacologYi R. Paoletti and C.J.Glueck l Eds.1 Academic Press l N.Y. Miller IS.1982. Report I Big Bear.233pp. Susi tna Hydroelectric Proj ect.Phase I Final Game Studies l Volume VI Black Bear and Brown Miller l S.1983.Susitna Hydroelectric Project.Phase II Progress Report I -Big Game Studies l Volume VI Black Bear and BroWn Bear.99pp. Miller l S.1984.Susitna Hydroelectric Project.Phase II Progress Report l Big Game Studies l Volume VI Black Bear and .Brown Bear. - Nai r IP •P.and D..Kri tchevsky.1916. Chemistry I-Phy,:dology and Metabolism. physiology.p.191-198. 69 The Bile Vol.3: Acids. Patho- - - - .- LITERATURE CITED (CONTINUED) New,W.R.and M.L.McKean.1977.Biochemistry of Steroids and other Isopentenoids.Univ.Park Press,Baltimore.690pp. Roscoe,H.G.·and M.J.Fahrenbach.1963,;Removal of fecal -. pigments and its application to the·determination of fecal bile acids in the rat.Anal.Biochern.6-:520-529. Welsh,C.J.and H.D.Picton.1983.11n investigation of Grizzly and Black Bear scat separation using bile acids. I:rl.:Final Report to the National Park Service,Order No.Px 1200-3-G423. 70 J J I 1 j J J 1 1 ]1 Table 1.(continued)SMIL07 SM-1 sex Caeture DiteTattooAgeWf.Frequency Serial #Ear Tags COlllllents 293#M 4.8 --8/6/81 150.710 1115/1116 collar replaced,r~aptured 5/18/83 (294#)M 11.8 --8/6/81 15~.841 .----recapture aorta11ty 347 M 14.8 500*8/6/81 --1234/1233 collar shed 9/81 342A#M 3.5 250*5/25/82 150.871 1228/1227 collar replaced (373)M 9.5 450*6/11/82 (150.022)..---no tattoo,w/G283 (F),collar shed 6/83 282#M 6.5 350*6/11/82 150.741 529/1643 recapture of nrked bear 379 F 5.5 300*6/11/82 150.102 1595/1585 w/2@C,Downstream study (380)F 15.5 275*6/12/82 (153.809).H,sfi8/53U ...,....y.I~@l,..J!Qt...~~p.ty~~.....~b.Qt;.J~/Q~.............................................-... 381 F 3.5 200*6/12/82 151.513 533/1592 alone 313#F 12.5 300*5/14/83 153.890 6259 same w/2@1 382 M 1.5 66 5/14/83 148.110 (lap)12546 2135/2134 w/313 and 383 (383)F 1.5 53 5/14/83 (148.070)nap)12542 (2490/2491)w/313 and 382,died unknown causes 283#F 15.5 --5/14/83 152.550 :6340 same w/eub #3 (003)F 0.5 --5/14/83 (151.430)1024 (1360/1359)w/283,special cub collar,no tattoo,cub eaten. 337#F 15.5 --5/14/83 152.720 6309 same w/385@2 . 385 F 2.5 60 5/14/83 3.42-8.14 (Imp)15210-12548 1695/1694 w/337,breakaway 58 collar 312#F 13.5 350*5/14/83 152.572 .6342 1299/1300 w/386@2 386 M 2.5 200*5/14/83 3.47-8.10 (Imp)15212-12545 (Imp)2146/2141 w/312,breakway 58 collar 344#F 7.5 325*5/14/83 150.891 10445 .same w/2@0,not captured 335#F 5.5 --5/14/83 -- -- same no radio in chopper . 335#F 5.5 236 5/16/83 150.220 15276 .same alone,one year added'to •81 age based on •83 tooth....388 F 14.5 450*5/14/83 153.070 6988 2478/2477 w/388 and 389@2 '"389 M 2.5 135 5/14/83 3.53-8.09 (Imp)15214-12544 2170/2171 w/388 and 390,breakaway 58 collar 390 M 2.5 125*5/14/83 3.46-8.08 (Imp)15211-12543 2148/2147 w/388 and 389,breakaway 58 co11ar-l\lhed 340#F 5.5 250*5/15/83 ~2.510 ~5 same -- 384 F 12.5 300*5/15/83 150.300 15279 2499/2500 w/391,392,393@2 391 M 2.5 140*5/15/83 153.490 15213 2078/2079 w/384 et a1.,breakaway 58 collar 392 M 2.5 140*5/15/83 152.971 15246 2111/2110 w/384 et al.,breakaway 48 collar 393 F 2.5 105 5/15/83 152.991 15247 1589/1598 w/384 et a1.,!lreakaway 48 collar 293#M 6.5 439 5/15/83 152.930 15291 same --394 F 6.5 250*5/15/83 150.270 15277 1693/1692 w/cub #4 (004)F 0.5 10 5/15/83 --~--(1358/1357)w/394-chewed on,no tattoo,died 'later (395)F 3.5 175*5/15/83 (152.910).'.(15289)(241572416)alone,regular 68 collar,shot 9/4/83 281#F 6.5 325*5/15/83 152.480 15284 same w/2@0 (#5 and #6) (005)M 0.5 8.5 5/15/83 (151.422)(1023)(1350/134)w/281,expandable cub collar,no tattoo,eaten (006)F 0.5 8.3 5/15/83 (151.460)('102'6)(134611345)w/281,expandable cub collar,no tattoo,eaten 280#M 8.5 482 5/16/83 152.920 1'5En same -- 396 F 13.5 274 5/16/83 150.470 14885 1685/1684 w/2@2 (397,398) 397 F 2.5 132 5/16/83 ----2493/2492 w/396 398 F 2.5 135*5/16/83 -- -- .2105/2104 w/396 399 M·9.5 600*5/17/83 150.290 15278 2087/2108 400 M 20.5 542 5/17/83 150.350 15281 2132/2133 299#F 16.5 275*5/18/83 150.480 15283 same w/3@0 (007,008,009),darted in den 007 M 0.5 13*5/18/83 (151.430)1024 1347/1348 w/G299,special cub collar,no tattoo,shed 10/83 008 M 0.5 13*5/18/83 151.440 TO'2'5 1342/1343,w/G299,special cub co11~r,no tattoo 009 M 0.5 13*5/18/83 (151.410)1022 536/535 w/G299,special cub collar,no tattoo,shed 7/83 279#M 12.5 700*5/18/83 150.590 mJ9 1653/1100 recapture,previous shed collar 315#F 5.5 203 5/18/83 152.900 15288 same estrus,alone,just marked preViously 403 F 6.5 275*5/18/83 150.180 15275 1564/1565 w/2@O,not captured,Downstream 407 F 4.5 220*5/19/83 150.680 2905 2401/1543 alone *Weight estimated,()indicates shed collar or dead bear,#recapture,-collar or mark replaced subsequently, Last tattoo =411.last cub =#15. Table 2.(continued)GAME02 1 .~-l ~~-J~-~J -)---I i --1 --J 1 ]--15M-] Capture Tattoo Sex Age W£.bate Frequencl Ser1al I Ear Tags Co.ents 362 F 2.5*40*5/27/82 --5031504 no tattoo' 363 F 4.5 120·5/27/82 (1SO.100)505/1593 364 F 9.5 170*5/27/82 (150.060)521/1591 m1ss1ng s1nceSept.182 (365)M 5.5 100*5/28/82 (1SO.502)52311626 do~tream study,see 3/83 recapture-collar loosened,d1ed 9/83 (366)M 6.5 200*5/28/82 (150.891)538/1627 downstream study,shot on 8/5/82 . (367)F 4.5 100*5/28/82 (152.870)illlls19 downstream study,shot,see belov ~4/16/83 recapture (368)F 3.5 110*5/28/82 ~-capture mortal1ty,downstream study 369 F 4.5 90*5/28/82 (152.603)527/1578 downstream study"age based on 183 tootb 370 F 7.5 220*5/28/82 152.030 528/1577 downstream study (371)M 2.5 150*5/28/82 ~---capture mortality,downstream study_ 372 F 9.5 135*5/28/82 153.860 537/1576 downstream study (374)F 7.5 125*6/11/82 (152.680)(530/1584)v/l@l,downstream study,recaptured 5/19/83,shot 9/83,aged +1 (183) 375 F 9.5 160*6/11/82 153.871 50171630 v/3@1,downstream study,recaptured 5/19/83,age changed (+4) 376 F 6.5 125*6/11182 150.080 531/1587 v/l@l,downstream study,see 9/2/82 recapture 377 F 4.5 126 6/11/82 150.721 509/1659 downstream study,recaptured 5/19/83,age changed (~1) 378 F 6.5 175*6/11182 150.031 510/1628 downstream study 376#2 F 6.7 160·9/2/82 150.080 530/1584 recapture,slough 88,snare 301#2 F 10.3 135 3/20/83 153.820 6298 sue v/2(?JJ,recapture 1n den,collar shed 7/83 317#2 F 10.3 --3/23/83 152.521 6338'1547/1196 v/2(?JJ,recapture 1n den (318#2)F 8.3 --3/23/83 (152.661)(6351)sue w/2@O,recapture in den,shed 7/83 323#2 M 5.3 --3/21/83 153.000 626"1696/1650 recapture 1n den 324#2 M 8.3 --3/22/83 153.450 6443 1661/1251 recapture 1n den 329#3 F 3.3 56 3/22/83 same sue sue recapture in den,old collar loosened......(327#2)F 8.3 --3/23/83 (153.180)(6416)sue v/2@O,recapture 1n den,died summer 1983 0&:>0 346#2 M 11.3 --3/21/83 150.530 12449 same recapture in den (349#2)F 6.3 --3/22/83 (153.480)(6446)sue v/2@O,recapture 1n den,sbed 7/83 361#2 F 8.3 --3/21/83 153.841 6305 sue v/4@O,'recapture in den (365#2)M 6.3 --3/23/83 (same)(same)same recapture 1n den,collar l09Sened,d1ed 9/83 (379)F 9.3 3/24/83 (153.510)(6449)none v/3@O,captured in den 119,d1ed 7/83 369#2 F 5.3 --4/14/83 sue same sue collar loosened 1n den,no cubs 372#2 F 10.3 --4/15/83 same same sue w/3@O,collar loosened in den 376#3 F 6.3 --4/16/83 sue same same v/3@0,collar okay 1n den 370#2 F 8.3 --4/16/83 same same same v/2@O,collar loosened in den (367#2)F 5.3 --4/16/83 (same)(same)same collar loosened 1n den,no cubs,shot July 1983 378#2 F 7.3 --4/16/83 same same same w/2@O (not sexed or ve1ghed),collar okay,1n den 387 M 4.5 175*5/14/83 153.831 6288 2126/2127 --321#2 F 13.5 115 5/15/83 152.830 15286 same had cubs (n=I'),not captured -. 343#2 M 7.5 225*5/16/83 152.850 15287 same --401 -M 3.5 96 5/18/83 150.330 15280 2103/2102 402 F 10.5 130 5/18/83 150.190 3616 2373/2372 v/3@1,not captured,Downstream study 375#2 F 10.5 --5/19/83 same same same v/l@O,not captured,old collar loosened,age changed +4 (183 tooth) (374#2)F 8.5 120*5/19/83 (same)(same)(sue)v/3@0,all captured,old collar loosened,shot 9/83,aged +1 010 F 0.5 --5/19/83 ..---1351/1352 v/374,no tattoo 011 F 0.5 --5/19/83 ----1354/1353 v/374,no tattoo 012 F 0.5 --5/19/83 ----135611355 v/374,no tattoo 377#2 F 5.5 --5/19/83 150.450 15282 sue alone,collar replaced,neck infected,age changed'-1 (183 tooth) 404 F 11.5 135*5/19/83 150.090 15272 2449/2450 v/l@O,captured,Downstream stUdy 013 F 0.5 10 5/19/83 ----2449/2450 no tattoo,v/404,Downstream study 405 . F 17.5 180*5/19/83 150.111 6314 2418/2417 H/2@O,both captured,Downstreu study 014 F 0.5 6.5 5/19/83 ----1364/1366 v/405,Downstream study,no tattoo 015 F 0.5 6.0 5/19/83 ----1365/1366 v/405,Downstream study,no tattoo 4n6 F 11.5 125*5/19/83 150.160 15273 2444/2445 v/2@O,not captured,Downstream study 408 M 3.5 160*5/19/83 150.170 15274 2119/2120 alone,Downstream study409F5.5 90*5/19/83 150.142 6310 1527/1526 alone,Downstream.study (410)F 7.5 120*5/19/83 (152.980)(6262)(1536/1537)w/2@O,not captured,Downstream study,shot 7/19183 411 F 8.5 130*5/19/83 150.130 0107 1548/1549 w/2@1,not captured,Downstreu stud *Weigh~or age estimated,0 shed coflar or dead bear,#recapture,_sUbsequently changed,Last Tattoo =411,las SMUll SM-15 Table 3. Number of brown bear pQint locations, 1980-1983 Su-Hydro studies. - 1980 1981 1982 1983 1980-1983 Number of observations of marked bears 144 401 328 576 1449 Number of radio-marked . bears with 5 locations 11 17 19 34 Number of observations of -unmarked bears (ID=99) 23 33 55 26 137 Number of observations by month of marked bears (%) Jan-Mar, Nov-Dec 1 (1) 0 5(2) 20(3) 26(2) April 9(6) 17(4) 7 (2) 8(1) 41(3) May 32(22) 111 (28) 36(11) 110(19) 289(20) June 24 (17) 105(26) 98(30) 133(23) 360(25) July 26 (18) 41 (10) 47 (14) 64(11) 178(12) August 27 (19) 41(10) 62(19) 105(18) 235 (16) September 9(6) 56(14) 38 (12) 96 (17) 199 (14) October 16(1l) 30(7) 35 (11) 40(7) 121(8) 75. SHILll SM-15 Table 4.Number of black bear point locations,1980-1983 Su-Hydro studies.' 1980 1981 1982 1983 1980-1983 Number of observations of marked bears 212 421 603 614 1850 Number of radio-marked bears with 5 locations 20 23 35 39 Number of observations of unmarked bears (ID-99)48 54 69 43 214 .-Number of observations of marked bears by month (%) Jan';"Mar,Nov-Dec 1(0)6(1)6(1)21(5)45(2) April 0 7(2)6(1)0 13(1) .....May 47 (22)98(23)59(10)104(17)308(17) June 28(13)102(24)167 (28)162(26)459(25) July 26(12)57(14)94(16)75 (12)252(14) August 66 (31)66(16)134(22)114(19)380(21) September 31(15)75(18)87 (14)83 (14)276(15) F'"'"October 13(6)10(2)50(8)44(7)117(6) '. .- I - 76------------------@-"------------------------ ·~ """.'I\'(See Table 5 in Miller 1983,p ..22)..**bear occurs in the downstream study area.. ..... - 77 SMIL10 SM-1 Table 6.Predicted spring 1984 reproductive status of radio-collared fema1~brown bears. ..- - - .... ID 281 283 394 312 337 384 388 396 315 335 340 381 407** 299 344 313 385 393 (missing?) Predicted 1984 status cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs 3 JIgs 1 JIg 1 ylg ,,/1@2 w/l@2 barren barren Comments lost '83 Utter(2)in May lost '83 l1tter(l)in May,bred lost '83 litter (1-)in May,bred weaned 1@2 in"83,bred weaned.l@2 in '83,bred weaned.3@2 in '83,bred weaned.2@2in '83,bred weaned 2@2 in '83,bred first Utter? first litter first litter,bred in '83 first litter aloue in '83,first litter? bad cubs in '83 bad cubs in '83 bad cubs in '83· with 1@1 in 183 vith rIgs in '83 weaned.from G337 in '83 weaned from G384 in '83 Observed 1984 status -. NA . NA NA NA ~A NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ..... ....., **bear occurs in tbe d~stream study area 78 1 J Table 7.Summary of Nelchina Basin brown bear litter size data (based on spring observations of radio-collared bears). Part 1.Litters of newborn cubs Usable BEAR ID(year-age)LITTER SIZE (year)COMMENTS__________SUmmary_ &n ...J09 SM-l I~ 207 (1~78.11) 213 (1978.10) 231(1979.13) 206(1978.13) 313 (1981.10) 313(1982.11) 312(1981.11) 283 (1981.13) 283(1983.15) 337 (1981.13) 3(1978) 2(1979) 3(1979) 3(1979) 1 (1981) 2(1982) 2(1981) 2(1981) 1(1983) 3(1981) When last seen on 10/7/78 had all 3 cubs on 5/31/79 had only one yearling which', stayed with her until last observation on 9/12/79 lost apparent yearling due to 1978 capture. had newborns when transplanted in 1979. lost these 8-16 days after release,bear apparently died in study area after return Turgid in 1978.bred.lost 2 of 3 cubs by 11 June 1979.survivor lived at least until last observation on 3 August 1979 (no exit data in 1980) lactating female with male in 1978,during last observation prior to shedding collar the cubs were not seen but undergrowth was thick (6/17/79) bear had a 2-y offspring in 1980,lost, cub (possible capture-related) both survived had a 2-year old in 1980.lost 1 cub by 6/18.other weaned in 1983 weaned 2 at 2 in 1980.lost 1 cub by 9/1 other'lost as yearling killed by brown bear by 5/17/83.cub was collared cubs and female reunited.1 cub lost in 81/82 den.other 2 survived to exit (1 ____~_.'I nn,."_.....'1.___1 _.~....._ ___1 _'\ 2 of 3'lost none-transplant bias 2 of 3 lost none • 1 of 1 lost (capture related?) o of 2 lost 1 of 2 lost 1 of 2 lost 1 of 1 lost 1 of ~lost" J ...1 1 I .1 )1 J 1 1 !bl."u.J09 SM-l Table 7.Part 1.(cont'd) BEAR ID(year-age)LITTER SIZ!{year)CO~NT~Summary coo 344(1981.5) 344(1983.7) 379 (1982.5) 341 (1981,6) 299 (1980.13) G299(1983.16) 281(1983.6) G394(1983.6) G403.(1983.6) Summary 2(1981) 2(1983) 2(1982) 2(1982) 1(1982) 3(1983) 2 (1983) 1(1983) 2 (1983) both lost in '82 as yearlings lost 1 in early July -other survived, both s~rvived survived'until 7/15/82 when bear was lost bear weaned 2 @ 2 in 1981,cub lost by 6/9/82 . all cubs collared,alive thru Oct •. both killed by brown'bear by 6/1/83. cubs collared ,lost (capture related?)by 5/1~.bred may have lost 1 in.Sept. o of 2 lost· 1 of 2 lost o of 2 lost none 1 of 1 lost o of'3 lost .2 of 2 lost 1 of 1 lost '(capture related?) .1 of 2 lost No.of cubs 39 No.of litters 19 mean litter size (range) 2.05 (1-3) 15 9f 32 cubs lost in first year of life .'(20£these pQssib1y capture related) 1 _I ]1 1 1 i i J I ]1 Sru-J.ob 9 SM-1 Table 7.Part 2.(litters of yearlings) BEAR ID(year-age)LITTER SIZE (year)COMMENTS __ d SUnmtary (X).... 220(1978,5) 221(1978,8) 234(1978,5) 240(1979,5) 244(1979,6) 251(1979,10) 254(1979,9) 261(1979,7) 269(1979,16) .1(1978) 2(1978) 2(1978) 2(1979) 1 (1979) 2(1979) 2(1979) 2(1979) 2(1979) ylg entered den and w~s weaned in 1979,bred survived,weaned in 1979 Paxson dump bear,lost apparent .ylgs between 6/23/78 ,nd 8/4/78,reportedly had cubs in August 1979,radio failed bear transplanted with ylgs,not known if ylgs,survived,to return to expt. area,bear was alone on 7/18/80 thin female transplanted with ylg, ylg.survived at least 21 days,female bred,but alone in July and August 1980 very large yearlings lost 10-17 days after transplant,bear had no cubs in 1980 (August) female died after transplant (ylgs??), lost 1 ylg between 1 and 7 days after transplant,other survived at least until Sept.,didn't return to study area transplanted,returned to study area with female,no cubs on 9/29/80,shot in fall 1981 reportedly without cubs o of 1 lost o of 2 lost none none none-transplant bias none,transplant bias none none-transplant bias none,transplant bias 274(1979,11)1 (1979)transplanted,no radio none 207(1978,11)1(1979)survived until 9/12/79 o of llost 231(1978,12)1(1979)survived until 8/79 none 213(1978,10)1(1978)apparent ylg was not captured,had 1 of 1 l~~t' cubs following year (capturerela~ed?) J I I 1 ~·········1 1 }I I ]I 1 81&......J9 SM-l Table 7.Part 2.(cont'd) BEAR ID(year-age)LITTER SIZE (year)COMMENTS Summary 277(1980,10)2(1980)ylgs.visually aged.not captured.survived to enter den.no 'exit data as bear shed collar in den o of 2 lost 299 (1980,13) 312(1982,12) 283 (1982,14) 337(1982,14) 380(1982,15) 344(1982,6) 313 (1983,12) 379(1983,6) Summary 2(1980)both survived.weaned next year o of 2 lost 1 (1982)survived.weaned next year o of 1 lost 1(1982)lost by 5/18/82 1 of 1 lost 2(1982)lost 1 by 6/17/82.other survived 1 of 2 lost 2(1982)both survived to den entrance,at o of 2 lost least 1 exited den and was weaned 2(1982)lost 1 by 6/17,other'by 7/26/82 2 of 2 lost 2(1983)lost 1 (surgery related?)by 6/2/83.o of 1 lost ,other survived thru Oct. 2(1983)lost 1 in June-Sept.period 1 of 2 lost No.of yearlings 36 No.litters 22 mean litter si~e (range) 1.64 (1-2)6 of 20'lost I -J--J J 1 1 -1 I J .----I 1 LA~Jo9 SM-l Table 7.Part 3.(litters of 2-year old offspring) BEAR ID(year-age)LITTER SIZE (year)COMMENTS weaned by 6/19/78.bred I weaned in mid-June.bred,~ew litter next year weaned right after capture in May.new litter in 1981 weaned by 6/13.bred weaned by May.bred.new litter in 1981 weaned by 6/17.bred weaned in 5/81.new litter in 1982' weaned by 5/15.bred weaned by 6/13.one of these 3 may not have been ' part of this litter.bred weaned-by 6/.13.bred weaned by 6/1.bred weaned by 6/15.bred.no cubs in 1982. died in 1982 (reason?) Summary No.of 2-year olds 24 No.of litters 14 Mean litter size(range) 1.7(1-3) ~I 1 i -]1 J 1 ]1 J 1 1 ]1 I i8M:..........:; 8M-1 Table 8.Brown bear offspring survivorship and weaning,GMU 13 studies.(~cludes.bears tra.nsplantedi'n 1979). MOTHER'S ID (ageJ.!!year when first captured) y'!a!_G207 (ll in 1978)~~20(5'in 1978)G:i211a-In 1978)G204(7 in_~78)G321(12 in 1978) 1978 3 cubs,April-Oct.1 y1g.,May-Oct.2 ylgs.,May-Oct.2 @ 2 in May,weaned in June and bred bred 1979 1980 1 ylg.,May-Sept. 2 ylgs.,lost in 78/79 den?) no data 1 @ 2,weaned in June no data. 2 @ 2 weaned in May, radio failure no data no data no data 2 of 3 cubs lost in June,1 survived April-Sept. no data MOTHER'S year G299 (13 in 1980)G312(lO~~1980) ear when first captured) 1980l G283(13 ,in 1980)G277(10 in 19801 1980 1981 1982 1983 October 2 of 2 ylgs. survived May-Oct. weaned 2 @ 2 in May and bred lost 1 of 1 @ 0 in June 3 @ 0 survived (all marked in dens,nos.7-9) .weaned 1 @ 2 in May breeding not observed 1 of 2 cubs lost in June,other survived May- Oct. yearling survived weaned 1 @ 2 in June,bred,off- spring=G385, transmitted weaned 1 @ 2 in May,bred 1 @ 0 lost in May (?capture related?) 2 @ 0 survived 1 @ 1 lost in June (trans- mitted inter- nally),sibling 382 alive thru October). weaned 2 @ 2 in June,bred 1 of 2 cubs lost in Aug.,other survived lost 1 @ 1 in May,bred lost 1 @ 0 in May,bred. lost cub had transmitter 2 @ 1 survived April thru August,collar shed in den no data no data no data 1 1 1 ••1 1 "j -1 I )J Sn......b9 SM-l Table 8.(cont'd) MOTHER'S ID (age in ~ear when first captured) year «;331(6 :l.n 1981)_G:):)400 in 1981)G337(l3 in"198T)---C344(5 in 1981)G344(6 in 1981) OJ U1 1981 . 1982 1983 (thru Oct.) 2 @ 2 weaned in May.bred no cubs.bred. died in July (reason?) weaned 1 @ 2 in May,bred,bear missing since Sept. no data· no dat~ lost 1 @0 in winter den,2 survived lost 1 @1 in June other survived weaned 1 @2 in [had May.bred 2 @ 0 survived lost 1 @1 in May, lost other in early July 2 @ 0,lost 1 by late June. other survived alone.bred in May had 2 @ 0 thru July. bear missing sub- sequently no data· year G379(S in 1982) !f.91!!I!:It'S ID (age in year when first captured) 'G380(S in 1982)G384(l2 ·in 1983)G388(l4in 1983)G394(6 in 1983) 1982 1983 (thru Oct.) 2 @0 survived 2@ 1.think lost 1 (June- Sept.) 2 @ 1 survived until denning. one may have died in den at least.1 @ 2 weaned in May. possibly both. shot in Sept. no data weaned 2 or 3 @2 in June. bred no'data no data weaned 2 @ 2.lost 1 @0 in May bred (?capture related possible?).bred year 1983 (thru Oct.) G396(l3 in 1983 wean~d 2 @ 2 in May.bred MOTHER'S ID (age in year when firs~~~ptured) G403(6 in 1983) 2 @ 0 thru Aug. May have lost 1 in Sept. SMILIO SM-l Table 9.SUIIIIIIIlIY of known losses from brown bear litters of cubs and yearlings.Losses dated from ... emergence 111 year indicated to emergence the following year. - ,.... Year of emergence 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 (thru Oct.) TO'rALS: Excludinq possible capture-related deaths and incomplete data: losses of cubs 2 of 3 lost (G207) 2 of 3 lost (231#) no data 4**of 10 lost IG~12,G313,.G283, G337,G344) 1***of 5 lost (G299,G313,G379) 6'of 11 lost (G283,G344,G299, G281, G394,G403) 15 of 32 lost =47' 11 of 27 lost =41\ losses of yearlings o of 3 lost (G22l,G220)· o of 1 lost (G207##) o of 4 lost (G299,G277*) no data 4 of 8 lost IG3l2,G283, G337, G344,G380****) 2 of 4 lost IG379,G3l311 ) 6 of 20 lost =30% 5 of 15 lost =.33\ #last observation on 8/3/79 ##last Observation on 9/12/79 *G277 shed collar in den so family status in spring 1981 was not determined,assumed 2 offspring were alive at emergence in 1981. **One lost cub may have been capture-related lfrom litter of 1 with G313). ***From litter of one with G299 lbears not handled). ****G380 had 2 yearlings tbru den entrance in 1982,onli one was verified wi.th her in spring 1983 but both were counted as surviving. One lost cub may have bben ~apture-related lfrom litter of 1 with G3941. r ,One of G3l3's yearlings died within 1 month of surger:r to install intemal transmitter lother survived),assumed this death was not surgery-related. 86 SMIL09 SM-l .... Table 10.Morphometries of brown bear cubs-of-the-year handled in GMU 13, 1978-1983 . CUB MOTHER'S ID ID DATE HANDLED SEX WT(lbs)COMMENTS 003 G283 004 G394 G336 G313 005 G281 006 G281 see Spraker,et al.(1981) cub abandoned?,ear tagged collared collared· neck=23Omm,ear tagged transplanted,see Ballard et a1.(1980) collared ·ear tagged ear tagged 8.5 8.3 10.0 12.0 12.0 10.0 10.0 12.0 13.0 F F Mover 10.0 neck-225mm,collared Mover 10.0 neck-245mm,collared Mover 10.0 neck-225mm,collared F M F M F M F M M 6 May 1981 6 May 1981 6 May'1981 14 May 1983 15 May 1983 15 May 1983 15 May 1983 18 May 1983 (den) 18 May 1983 (den) 18 May 1983 (den) 22 May 1979 22 May 1979 27 May 1978 27 May 1978 G213 G213 G207 G207 G338 G283 G339 G283 001 002 007 G299 008 G299 009 G299 I'- ! ..,.. - Totals:8 males and 6 females 87 SMIL09 SM-l r- Table 11.Morphometries of brown bear yearlings handled in GMU 13,.1978-1983 YLG MOTHER'S DATE ID ID HANDLED SEX WT(lbs)COMMENTS G297 G399 4 May 1980 M 65 ~tagged G298 G399 4 May 1980 M 65 .tagged G382 G313 14 May 1983 M 66 :iinplant transmitter G383 G313.14 May 1983 F 53 implant transmitter G238 G240 23 May 1979 M 95 transplanted,see ~G239 G240 23 May 1979 F 65 Ballard et ale 1980 G245 G244 24 May 1979 F 46 transplanted,op cit. G252 G251 27 May 1979 M 134 transplanted,op cit. G253 G251 27 May 1979 M 139 ~ G256 G254 27 May 1979 M 47 transplanted,op cit. G257 G254 27 May 1979 M 47 G262 G261 2 June 1979 M 90 transplanted,op cit. G263 G261 2 June 1979 M 87 F G270 G269 6 June 1979 F 100 transplanted,op cit. G271 G269 6 June 1979 F 95 ~G275 G274 7 June 1979 M 68 transplanted,op cit. i G232 G234 23 J~ne 1978 F 100(est.)Spraker,et al.(1981) G235 G234 23 June 1978 F'100(est.) ~ Totals:11 males and 7 females 88 ])1 )I .-1 'J 1 i 1 ~.kIL(,~1 SM;...l Table 12.Brown bear harvests in the Su-Hydro study area (Figure 1).Includes DLP kills. SPRING SEASON FALL SEASON Total %males Mean age(n)range Total %males Mean age(n)range MALE HARVESTS Year 1970 -4 80 5.3(4)2.8-9.8 1971 -4 27 3.3(4)1.8-5.8 1972 -6 67 8.0(6)3.8-17 .8 1973 -4 100 4~3(4)1.8-5.8 1974 -12 55 .6.4(11)1.8-16.8 1975 -18 53 7.4(16)2.8-14.8 1976 -10 42 7.3(10)1.8-21.8 1977 -13 100 7.0(13)1.8-23.8 1978 -21 48 5~2(16)1.8-14.8 1979 -19 58 6.7(15)1.8-14.8 1980 5 71 7.8(5)2.4-17.4 '12 57 3.8(11)1.8-6·.8 1981 7 78 5.1(7)2.4-7.4 22 65 5.3(21)0.8-25.8 1982 6 67 6.4(6)3.4-12.4 (20 61 3.7(20)1.8-8.8en \D '74-'76 -40 50 7.1(37)1.8-21.8 '77-79 -53 66 6.2(44)1.8-23.8 '80-'82 18 72 6.3(18)'2.4-17 .4 54 61 4.3(52)0.8-25.8 FEMALE HARVESTS 1970 1 6.8(1)·•- 1971 -11 8.4'(11)1.8-15.8 1972 -3 4.1(3)3.8-4.8 1973 -0 1974 -10 7.4(8)1.8-12.8 1975 -16 :7.6(16)1.8-13.8 1976 -14 4.6(13)1.8-10.8 1977 -0 1978 .-13 6.1(12)2.8-11.8 1979 -14 6.5 (10)1.8-16.8 1980 2 5.4(2)3.4-7.4 9 4.8(6)2.8-11.8 1981 2 3.4(2)2.4-4.4 12 6.5 (11)2.8-20.8 1982 3 6.1(3)3.4-8.4 13 7.6(12)1.8-14.8 '74-'76 -40 6.5 (37).1.8-13+8 '77-'79 -27 6.3(22)1.8-16~'8· '80-'82 7 5.1(7)2.4-8.4 34 6.6(29)1.8-20.8 ' F'SMIL10 SII-2 Table 13.Status of brown bears first marked in 1978.(A=alive,T=transp1anted in 1979,NR=no return, R=returned,NO=no data available,F=sbot in fall season,Sp=shot in spring'season). / Bear#:Sex/age 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 .1983 1984- Upper Susitna Expt.Area 209 MiS in '78 A T,n A Sbot-F 212 F/10 in '78 A A A A·Sbot-F 217 M/3 in /78 A A Shot-F 219 F/4 in '78 A A A A Sbot-F 218 M/4 in '78 .A T,R Shot-F 230 H/9 in '18 A T,sbot Sp 211 M/4,in '78 A T,NR NO NO NO NO 216 Mill in '78 A T,n ND ND NO NO 210/242 M/2 in '78 A T,ND NO ND NO NO 214 M/4 in '78 A A A ND NO NO 215 F/2 in '78 A T,n NO ND NO NO I""'"213 F/10 in '78 A '1'* Not Upper Susitna Expt.Area 205 M/4 in.'78 A A A A A Shot-Sp 206 F/13 in '78 A A A Shot-F 201 MilO in '78 A ,A 'A A A Shot-Sp 202 F/8 in '78 Shot-F, 221 F/8 in /78 A A A A Shot-Sp 228 M/7 in '78 A A A A A Shot-Sp 207 Fill in '78 A A NO NO NO NO 208 F/12 in '78 A A NO NO NO NO 220 F/5 in '78 A A NO NO NO .NO 222 !U11 in '78 A ND ND NO NO NOI""" M/9 in '78227 A NO NO NO NO NO 234 F/S in '7S-·",A ND NO NO NO NO 200 MI7 in '78 A NO"NO NO NO NO-204 F/7 in '78 A A NO NO NO NO 225 M/4 in '78 A A NO NO NO NO 231 F/12 in '78 A A NO NO NO NO..,Max.No.Bears, potentially alive in year includes NO (M:F)28(15:13)26*(15:11)25(14:11) 23(12:11)21(11:10)18(10:8)15(7:8) No.marked bears known shot in year (M:F)1(0:1)1(1:0)2(2:0)2 (1:1)3 (1:2)3 [3:0) ..... \of potentially alive bears known shot in year 4\4%8\9\14\17\ Cumulative \(mn.)of marked bears shot (N=27)4\7\15\22\33\44\ Not Included: Subadu1ts @2 in 1978,=203,223,224 (all ND) Subadults @1 =232 (ND)-*suspected mortality of 213 in 1979,not included as alive in 1979 or subsequently 90 SMILIO ""'",SM-2 mEllll:!ll Table 14.Status of brown bears first captured in 1979 (all were transplanted from upper Susltna drainaq~)-" (A-alive,NR=no return;R=returned,ND=no data available,F=shot in fall season,SP=shot in sprinq ,~"'i!t\1i!I season).Does not include transplanted bears first captured in 1978 (see Table 13).ND in year of capture indicated bear was not collared or soon shed its collar and no subsequent data were collected• .... .Bear m sexlage 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 -11/3 in '79·246 Shot-F 247 H/8 in '79 A A A A Shot-F 243 H/2 in 179 A A Shot-F 265 H/4 in '79 A Shot-Sp 268 H/4 in '79 A Sbot-Sp 269 F/18 in '79 A A Shot-F " I"-270 F/1 in '79 A Sbot-F 272 H/9 in '79 .A A A Shot-F 260 11/4 in '79 A A A A Shot-F 241 M/3 in 179 A,NO NO NO NO NO 249 MIS in '79 A,NO NO NO NO ND 258 H/21 in 179 A,NO NO NO NO ND 264 F/4 in '79 A,ND HD NO NO NO r-'267 F/4 in '79 A,NO NO ND NO NO 274 FIll in 179 A,NO NO NO NO ND 276 H/4 in 179 A,NO NO NO NO NO r-'236 F/5 in '79 A,R NO NO NO NO 237 HI10 in '79 A,R NO NO NO NO 240 F/5 in '79 A,R A NO NO NO ....244 F/6 in '79 A,R A NO NO NO 251 FIla in '79 A,R A NO NO NO 273 F/3 in '79 A,R A NO NO NO 248 F/4 in '79 A,NR NO NO NO NO,.... 261 F17 in 179 A,NR NO NO NO NO Max.No.Bears-potentially alive in year includes NO (M:F)24 (12:12)23(11:12)20 (9:11)18(8:10)17(7:10}14(4:10) No.marked bears known shot in year (M:F)l{1:0)3 (2:1)2 (1:1)1 (1:0)2(2:0) ....Known %of potentially alive bears shot in year 4\13%10\6\12\ Cumulative \(min.)of I"- marked bears shot (N=24)4\17%25%29%38% Not Included:.-Subadults @2 in 1979 =259 Subadults @l in 1979 =275,262 or 263,256,257, 252,253,245,271,239, 238. - - 91 -(continued on next paqe) 92 F"'"Table 15.(cont.)SMIL10- .SK-.-2 ~Bear ID Sex/age 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1983 captures 385 F/2 in '83 A 386 Ml2 1n '83 A 388 F/14 in '83 A 389 M/2in '83 A 390 M/2 1n '83 A 384 F/12 1D '83.A-391 M/2 in '83 A 392 Ml2 in '83 A 393 F/2 in '83 A 394 F/6 1n '83 A 395 F/3 in '83 Shot-F 396 F/13 in '83 A-399 M/9 in '83 A 400 M/20 in 183 A 403 F/6 in '83 A 407 F/4 1n '83 ND A.-Max.No.marked bears potentially alive 1n year, I"""includes NO.Excludes tagging and natural mortal!ties (M:F)22(12:10)30{14:16)29{12:17)43(18:25) 40(17:23)-B.No.!!!2!!shot 1n year (M:F)1 (1:0)3 (3:0)1(1:0)3 (1:2)NO Min.\known shot (B/A)5\10\3%7%NO C.No.known shot plus-suspected (~eported) shot 1n year (M:F)lC1:0)4 (3:1l 2(1:1)3 (1:2)NO Probable min.%shot (C/A)5%13%7%7%NO D.No.bears known alive .....(excludes NO,died 6i lost)17 23 21 34 31 Probable %shot (C/O)6%17%10%9%i,:i;i! Cumulative \shot (bear- years=124,from row A).1%4%6\8\NO ~ Not Included: Subadu1 ts @2,1980:285,314, 1983:397,398 Subadu1ts @1,1980:298 1983:382- 93 SULlO SM~2 Table 16 •Summary of Tables 13-15,hunter kiJ.ledbrown bear marked in GMU 13. .... 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 ,~-Maximum No.of marked bears potentially allve myear (includes N.D.)OI:F)27(14:13).50(27:33)70(37:33)73(35:38)68(·31:37).78(35:43)69(28:41)- No.marked bears known shot*(M:Fl 1(0:1)2 (2:0)6 (5:1)7 (5:2)5(3:2)8 (6:2)NA- Min.,of marked bears shot in yeer .n 4\9'10\"10%NA %males in population of marked beers 52%54%53'48%46'45'41% ,males in harvest 1978-1983 of marked bears 0 100'83'71'60%75%72'-*includes row C in Table IS - - .-, - 94 SMILll--I -1 J 1 1 J 1 I 1 I !J -~~A -\5 ) Table 17.Home range si~es (km 2 )of two-year old radio-marked brown bears in 1983. BEAR ID Sex Mother's ID/Entire 1983 home range/Post-separation home (1283 I!Q~e range)(No.of PQiIl1:~)range/(No.of points)COMMENTS ,·.__..__"~~H_••""'.~,,_,•••_.",_.H ~••'_.__._.__.,__~.._.__'"••~__••.••"••••~••__••,',••,_••••_••_..•••._•....-••_._••_•••'--••,-- I~ 389 390 391 392 393 386 M M M M F -. M 388/(146) same 384/(199) same same 312/(191) ;'..... 1.954/(16) 86/(14) 1 t 169/(15) 1,252/(15) 156/(14) 939/(l3) I 1.947/(10) 51/(8) 782/(10) 826/(10) 156/(12) 243/(8) Dispersed.Figure 2 Didn't disperse. -Figure 2 Dispersed.Figure 3 Dispersed.Figure 3 Didn't disperse.no den. Figure 3 Dispersed.Figure 4 SMIL09 611-1 Table lS.Annual use of Prairie Ct.area by radio-collared brown bears during July and August king sallllOn spewing period.Reproductive status reflects July data for females (c=newborn cubs). 67 7S 2.3 4 5 342&342& 19S'3 yes no yes no no ND{sbed) no no no no DO yes DO 3 12 7 342a,3S6,3S9, 391,392 43 19S2 -, -' NO ,DO yes ' yes -(dead) .no yes 3 4 19S1** NO no yes yes no ND(shed] no no 19S0 yes yes Subtotals: Males (age in year first captured] 279 9{SO) 280 5 (SO) 214 4(SO) 282 4 (SO) 293 3{SO) 294 10(SO] 342a*2{Sl] 373 9{S2) 386 2(83) 389 ;HS3) 390 2(83) 391 2{S3) 392 2(83) 399 9{S3) 400 20(S3) (continued on next page) 96 SMIL09 51(-1 Table 1S o (conto) ~ Females (age in year first captured)19S0 19S1**19S2 19S3 277 10(SO)no?NO-(sbed)NO NO 281 3 (SO)no,alone no,alone no,alone no,-alone 283 12(80)yes,alone nOr:w/2c yes,alone yes,alone 299 13(80)DO,w/2@l no,alone .no,alone no,w/3e 30Sb 5(SO)yes,alone no?,alone -dead 312 10(SO)no,w/1e ", no,-w/1@lDO"alone no,alone.,.... 313 ge80}DO,alone alone no,w/2e no,w/1@lno, 315 2 (SO)..yes,alone 331 6 (S1)no,alone -dead 334 10(81)no,alone -missinq 335 2 (S1)Do,alone DO,alone no,alone 337 13(81)no,w/3c no,w/1@1 no,alone .-340 3(81)no,alone no,alone no,alone 341 6(81)no,alone no,w/2e -missing 344 5(81)no,w/2e no,Y1@l no,alone-379*5(82)no,w/2e no,w/2@l 380 15(82)yes,w/2@l yes,alone 381 . 3 (82)no,alone no,alone 385 2(83)no,alone-388 14(S3)no,alone 384 12(83)no,alone 393 2 (83)no,alone 394 6(83)yes,alone 395 3(83)no,alone 396 13(83)yes,alone-403*6(83)no,w/2e 407*4(83)yes,alone Subtotals:-No.using Prairie CIt. (females)2"0 2 6 Total No.of collared females 7 13 13 22 -,females using Prairie Ck.29 0 15 27 TOTALS: No.bears using Prairie CIt.4 2 5 9 No.bears radio-collared (excluding dispersing males)"11 16 17 29.- ,bears using Prairie Ct.36 13**29 31 .-*Downstream study area **Poor monitoring conditions in 1981- 5MILll 1 J J ]-,1 1 1 l I 1 )~··-i j t)~115 Table 19.Annual home range sizes for Su-Hydro upstream study area brown bears.(Includes individuals witb 5 or more relocations). 1980 1981 1982 1983 Bear 10 ObS:t'eriod Home Range Obs.Period Home Range Obs.PeriOd HOme RangEt Obs.Period Home Range J::le @ capture)(No.locations)(km2 )(No.locations)(km 2 )(No.locations)(km2 )(No.locations)(km 2 ) ES 342a (2)------Hay-Oct (8)1776 May-Oct (17)730 Apr-Oct (15)932 386 (2)------------------Hay-Oct (13)939 389 (2)-----------------..Kay-Oct (16)1954 (died) 390 (2)'-..----------------Kay-Oct (14)88 l I 391 (2)------ --- ------,..--May-Oct (15)1169 392 (2)-------------_..---Hay-Oct (15)1252 293 (3)May-Oct un 1409 May-Sep q.U 2727 Jun-Aug (12).2578 Hay-Sep (10)222 no den no den no den 214 (4)Apr-Sep (11)975 sbed 280 (5)Apr-Oct (10)499 Apr-Oct (25)570 May-Oct (17)376 Apr-Oct (17)' 282 (6)------------Apr-Oct (17)1534 Apr-Oct (21)2135 '"CD 373 (9)---------Jun-Oct (11)606 shed in Jtme 279 (9 in 180)(shed)------ ---------Hay-Oct (20)1431 399 (9)------------ ------May-Oct (19)1183 294 (10)May-Oct (14)495 Hay-Aug (9)143 (dled) 400 (20)------------------.Ma~-Oct (14)1733 x(all males):(10.8)845 (13.3)1304 (11.4)1165 S.D.;;:439 --1174 ..--902 range::::(8-1~)495-1409 (9-25)143"'2127 (9-14)376-2578 FEMALES 335 (2)------May-Oct (34)180 May-Oct (20)131 Apr-Oct (19)183 315 (2 in 180)not collared ---------------Hay-Oct (18)280 393 (2)------------------Hay-Sep (14)156 (lost) no den 3£15 (2)------------------May-Oct (16)253 395 (3)------------------May-Aug (II)458 (shot) 281 (3)Apr-Oct (13 )189 Apr-Oct (41)368 Kay-Oct (22)233 Apr-Oct (19). .302 (w!J@c)***111 -(continued on next page) j ----1 ~-l -_--J j 'I j -1 J 1 1 j _.~l.u Table 19.(Continued)SM-15 1980 1981 1982 19M Bear 10 Obs.Period Home Range Obs.Period Home Range Obs.Period Home Range Obs.Period Rome Range (age @ capture)-(No.locations)(klD a )(No~locations)(klD 2 )(No.locations)(kID:!)(No.locations)(klD 2 ) 340 (3)------May-Oct (39)613 May-Oct (23)712 Apr-Oct (18)539 381 (3)------..~-..Jun-Oct (17)265 Apr-Oct (18)251 (no den) 407 (4)*-----~--------,.May-Oct (17)186 308b (5)May-Oct (1~)142 M~y-~g (14)(died)---------.. !:I·' 344 (5)------i May-Oct (21}270(wI2@C)May-Oct (22)401h,/2@1)***Apr-Oct (18)287h,/2@C) 379 (5)*--------..---Jun-Oct (19)3389 hJl2@C)Apr-OCt (20)1248 h,I 2@l) 331 (6)------May-Oct'(24)1281 lfay-Ju1 (10)252 (died)--- 341 (6)---Hay-Oct (28)889 Hay-Jul (9)23(w/2@C)lost 394 (6)-----...--..---.------May-Oct (20)201 (w/l@C)**** 403 (6).-----------..--May-Oct (19)1890(w/2@C) 0 313 (9)May-Oct (14)82 Apr.Oct (25)211 May-Oct (22)i28(w/2@C)Apr-Oct (20)272 (w/2@l) 0 277 (10)Apr-Dct (6)147(w/2@U (sbed) '312 (10)May-Oct (13)157 Apr-Oct (24)181(w/2@C)May-Oct (20)252(w/1@1)Apr-Sep (15)191 (no den) 334 (10)------May-Sep (31)111*missing 283 (12)Apr-Oct (12)233 May-Oct (20)94(w/2@C)**Hay-Oct (20)206(w/1@1****)Apr-Oct (20)416• 384 (12)------------,May-Oct (16)199 299 (13)May-Oct (10)188(w/2@l)Apr-Oct (24)358**May-Oct (21)191 (w/1@C****).May-OCt (24)224(w/3@C) 337 (13)------May-Dct (19)270(w/3@C)**May-Oct (20)356(w!2@l)May-Oct (20)246 396 (13)---------- -----May-Oct (16)254 388 (14)----------------May-Oct (16)146. 380 (15)'------------Jun-Oct (9)493(w/2@l)Apr-Sep (12)450(shot 9/83) i(a11 fema1es)=(11.7)163 (26.5)380 (18.1)286 S.D.=---47 ---352 --323 Range=(6-1S)82-233 (14-41)94-1281 (9-B)23-1216 i(a11 males &femalesJ=(11.4J 411 (23.4)597 117.3)677 S.D.=---421 ---717 --889 Range=(6-1S)82-1409 (8-41)94-2727 (9-23)23-2578 . •.~I".. *%Qgl"r~~fBae8t~gYs~rfstica1 comparisons •:::t~ft:HR3~~~s~~~»lYin May o·• 1 J 1 J 1 1 ·····-1 -.-]J J J 1 Table 20.Number of Susitna river crossings by radio-mArked brown bears,1980-1983.SMIL07 SM-1 Yr.InitiAl No.of River Crossings Bear ID capture (age)1980 1981 1982 1983 COlllDlents Males 389 1983(2)---1 388's cub,died fall '83 390 1983(2)--..0 388's "cub,imp1e.nt active 391 1983(2)..-..1 384's cub 392 1983 (:~)....-0 384's cub 393 1983(2)-....4 38.'s cub,~issing ** 293 1980(3)2 0 1 2 Hide-ranging 214 1980(4)0 ......shed collar in '80 399 1983(4)......4 active 280 1980(5)2 10 3 8 active 308A 1980(6)0 ......Missing in '80,shot in '83 282 1982(6)-..6 4 active 279 1980(9)0 -..3 active 373 1982(9)....3 0 shed collar 294 1980(10)1 0 ..-recapture mortality 295 1980(12)1 ......shed collar in '80 309 1980(12)0 0 ....shed collar in '81 347 1981(14)..0 ..-shed collar in '81 400 1983(20)..-..1·active 342A@ 1981(2)..1 0 2 Active Total males 6 11 13 30 (continued) SMIL07 SM-l No.of River Crossings 1980 1981 1982 1983 Co_ents 4 radio-collared in 1983,active 0 337's cub 0 .active 1 6 5 6*2 cubs killed by other bears 0 0 0 334'8 cub,active 0 6 8 4 active 4 1 active 1 shot (hunter)'83 5 7 - - recapture mortality 0*2 °y2 0*2 active 4+2 3 -died July 1982 9 0*2 -missing 1982 ** 10 lost cub as capture mortality? 0 0 0*2 2y1 active °y2 ---collar shed -in 1980 0 0*2 °yl 0+1 active 0+1 - - missing 1982 ** 0+2 0*2 4 2 1983 cub killed by another bear 0*2-3 active 2y2 2 2 0*3 active 0*3 °y2 0 active 0*1 active?slow pulse -1 l J Table 20.(continued) Yr.Initial Bear 10 capture (age) Females 315 1980(2) 385 1983(2) 386 1983(2) 281 1980(3) 335 1981(3) 340 1981(3) 381 1982(3) 395 1983(3) 3088 1980(5) 344 1981(5) 331.1981(6) 341 1981(6). 394 1983(6) 313 1980(9) 277 1980(10) 312 1980(10) 334 1981 (10) 283 1980(12) 384 1983(12) 299 1980(13) 337 1981(13) 396 1983 (13) --I (continued) --J ___J .,,' ,. 1 ) 1 j Table 20.(continued) I "1 J SHIL07 SM-l Bear ID 388 380 407 @ 379 @ 403 @ Total females Total both sexes Yr.Initial No.of River Crossings capture (age)1980 1981 1982 1983 1983 (14)- - -°+2 1982(15)--°y2 0 1983(4)---0 1982(5)--1*2 5yl 1983(6)---1*2 8 34 27 36 14 45 40 66 Comments active l;ihot active ,active acUve @=Downstream bears Reprod.status, as of 31 Hay:*-alb y =yrlg +=2 yr old **possible unreported hunter kill,collar failure,or emigration. 1 I i 1 .:J J I .J.J ._J .-J S.A;LlUJ9 SM-l Table 21.Associations of radio-marked brown bears during spring 1983.(Includes only bears in upstream study area,ex~ludes bears with cub or yearling offspring throughout this period and excludes 2 year-old bears,as companions).Sex is in parenthesis • •Bears seen w~-Jt unmarked bears Bears seen Bears:seen (pre~umably of with other without adult Bears radio-locate4 opposite sex)marked bears cC?~p~~tQ~I:I ~.noLsee~YJfI,!a~l,y 23 May,1983 Flight Total No.of radio- collared adult*bears located (No.seen) ..... ;:) JJ G394(F,cubs lost earlier) 1-2 June 1983 Flights G281(Fw/2@O) .G315(F) G337 (F) G388(Fw/2@2) G293(M) G340(M) G280(M) G381 (F) G312(Fw/1@2) G395(F@3)* G335 (F) G400(M) G279(M) G282(M) G396(Fw/1@2) G283(F) 17(17) 16 G396(F) G283(F) G312 (F) G400(M) G315(F)** G337 (F)w/G279(M)G381 (F) G384(Fw/2@2) G395(F@3)* G388(Fw/2@2) G399(M) G340(F) G281(F cubs had been killed)15(12) G335(F) G293(M) --:l 1 1 5Mb...,,) SM-1 Table 21.(cont'd) Bears seen with unmarked bears Bears seen Bears seen (presumably of with other without adult Bear radio-located opposite sex marked beara companions but not s~~nvisually 6 June 1983 Flisht G283(F)--G380(F)G396(F) G282(M)G395(F@3)*.G280(M)•G31S"(F)G337 (F)'G281(F) G33S(F).G399(M)G381(F) G400(M)G340(F) G279(M)G384(Fw/2@2)' G394(F) G340(F) 13-14 June 1983 Flisht G380(F)G283 (F)w/G282 (M)G315(F)-- G279(M)&another bear**.G394(F) G399(M)G396 (F) G33S(F)G312(F) G400(M)G388(F) G384(F)G39S(F@3)* G283 (F)***G340(F) G281(F) G280(M) G381(F) 20-21 June 1983 Flight G282(M)G388 (F)w/G400 (M)G312(F)G31S(F) G396(F)G283 (F)w/G279(M)G384(F)G394(F) G337 (F)G280(M)G33S(F) G340(F)G399(M)G281 (F) G380(F)G381(F) (Continued) Total No.of radio- collared adult*bears located (No.seen) 17(13) 17(17) 18(13) 1 -~--I ----J --~-1 1 )]-IsMTLiU;7] SM-l Table 21.(cont'd) *G395 is a 3 year old female that was not in estrus when captured. therefore it is not ·unusual that she was never seen with another.,.'. bear during this period. **G315(F)was seen with G394 (anoth~r female)and an unmarked bear on the 1-2 June flight,since only One unmarked male (presumably) was seen in.this group of3 bears,G394 was not counted as 'being with another bear in the totals and neither G394 or G315 was counted as being with another marked bear. ***G283(F)was seen with G282(K)and another bear on 13-14 June, 'therefore it is counted twice (in each of the first two columns). .' J ]]J -1 J I »J -~]_._f:~~~~J Table 22.Parameters used in formulating brown bear population estimates based on estimated proportion of adults (excluding non-estrus females)in the population that are radio-marked.Cautionary statements in text should be reviewed in interpretation of these estimates. Calculated number of adult bears excluding females with cubs or yearlings based o.n calculation that 15%of population is marked ("X"in above equation) 93 Minimum 93 Midpoint 93 Maximum Estimate of the proportion of the adult female population with cubs or xearling offspring . (tla in equation).. Estimate of the proportion of adult ~opulation co~.osed of females (lib"in equation)_ '"Total number of adult bears (N in above equation)''" .~osition of N num er of adult males number of adult non-estrus females number of estrus females Number of cubs and yearlings (number of non-estrus females times mean cub and yearling litter size of 1.8) Number of 2 and 3 year-old bears (25%of number of cubs and yearlings) Estimate of total spring population Area inhibited bi above po~ulation(km2)Area (km )inhab~ted by ra io-marRed individuals during breeding season 1983 (Fig.1) Corresponding density estimate (km 2 /bear) Area (km 2 )inhabited by radio-marked individuals during all of 1983 (Fig.8) Corresponding density estimate (km 2 /bear) 0.19 0.43 0.67 0.50 0.63 0.76 103 128 190 52 47 46 12 37 97 40 45 41 22 67 175 • 6 17 .'44 131 212 409 4,391 4,391 4,391 33.5 20.1 10.7 6,568 6,568 6,568 50.1 31.0 16.1 .. 11-f J -1 .---l J I 1 1 :)--1 _~:~~7 VeaetatioD Bear Age at Elevation Slope Aspect ID NOii-,~it (Feet)(Degrees)(True N.) Den No. ~ab1e 23.Characteristics of b~wn bear dens in the Susitna study area during vinters of 1980/81,1981/1982,1982/1983. ENTRANCE CHAMBER Total Previously Ht.Widtb tn.WIdth Ht.Length Used? (CID.)(ClD.)(ClIl.)(cm.)(CIll.) (ClIl.)(Yes/No)COBents FEMALES With offspring (@ exit) v/2 @O 14 G283(sp.)13 v/2 @O 16 G283(vt.)13 v/1 @O 22 G313 10 59 G299 37***? ***89 G379 Collapsed/not visited Collapsed/not visited Collapsed Collapsed Collapsed Collapsed Collapsed Collapsed Collapsed/not visited Spring den/collapsed Winter den Collapsed Collapsed Partially collapsed Spring den,collapsed Collapsed Collapsed S};lring den,collapsed Collapsed No No No No No '. No No No No No No No •No 207 350 No 196 291 410 219 ~No 177 136 '!" 84**290,'No 230 No 86 345 92 165 138 203 104 152 90 ... 239 69 103 101 56 136 88 76 66 •102 221 76** 83 6476 53**79 58 69 151 136 101 49 65 64 67 52 117 127 61 58 102**• Willow,Alder Alder Grass Willow,Grass Grass Tussock grass Willows Tundra Tussock/rock slide • Tussock/1g.rocks 57 69 Tundra/rock Moss/rock slide Tundra/rock Alder Alder,Ferns Tundra Tundra Tundra,Willows Tundra 156 346 189 220 218 40 **23 176 198 118*. 192 210 166 252 15~ 145 93 138 213 182 201 202 34 27 26 45** 28 26 35 31 31 36 17 27 28 42 45 25 30 **35 39 33 3900 3725 5150 4825 4760 4900 4925 4660 3950 4575 4925 4250 4575 3525 2075 4150 3975 1375 1050 **4750 3725 4575 1 11 12 6 7 15 ? 16 16 6 6 12 15 6 13 5 11 11 14 G313 G283 G281 G299 G331 G337 G344 G313 G312 G344 G341 G312 G277 76 G299 78 G299 ***87 G379 28 42 U 47 52 54 24 30 31 25 102 103 104 v/3 @O v/2 @O ,,/2 @O v/2 @1* .v/2 @2 !v/2 @O~~v/2 @O IV/I @1 I v/2 @1 v/2 @O v/1 @O, v/2 @1 v/3 @O w/3 @O w/2 @1 w/2 @1 w/2 @1 w/1 @O w/2 @O (continued OD next page) I .-]I 1 1 i ..]!'l..~IL07hM-l Table 23.(continued) ENTRANCE CHAMBER Total Previously Den Bear Age at Elevation Slope Aspect Ht.wIdth tn.WIdth Ht.Length Used? No.lD No.Exit (Feet)(Degrees)(True N.)Vegetation (cm.) (cm.)(em.)(cm.)(cm.)(em.)(Yes/No)Comments ******.,----,.--,..,0__._••••_._.•...~.~_._••'"_......_~~••4.~_._~.~,..._,...__.~."..~._.._."._.~......_..,.,.'n..~~_ w/l @2 105 G337 15 5150 45 336 Tundra -------Collapsed ****34**Spring den,collapsedw/l @2 107 G337 15 4900 35 Tundra ------- **40****Collapsedwll@2108G31213454051Tundra,Grass ...... ...-,--... ** ****Collapsedw/2 @O 109 G344 7 4750 50 101 Tundra -..-....-- w/o 23 G281 4 4700 39 142 Tussock/rock slide ..61 -......No Collapsed w/o 5 G308b 6 2330 26 358 Alder 69 82 lU lU 110 ·230 No w/o 46 G340 4 5150 ...................-..Not visited w/o 56 G335 3 3525 32 261 Willow,Alder '.47 39 .......224 No Partially collapsed ****w/o 79 G335 4 4350 60 354 ..............No Collapsed ....w/o 4950**45****Collapsed10603405306Tundra.................. 0 00 w/o G381 **30**62**Tundra CollapsedIII44500.......-......... MALES 1 G280 6 3950 32 \.158 Tundra/grass/rock 48 86 -231 -269 No Collapsed ,-'~, 15 G2841 3 3990 23 216 Tundra/grass 56 83 135 154 77 239 No,ID uncertain 29 G294 11 2650 30 146 Alder/grass 52 80 -157 89 188 No Partially collapsed, 36***G342A 3 2375 31 288 :Alder 38 71 81 86 94 124 '.'No Partially collapsed 60 G280 7 4125 26 210 Grass,Wil low ..... .........No ,Collapsed 94***2525 **G342 6 26 299 Alder 66 74 ...84 81 147 No Collapsed 86 G282 7 3200 33 46 Alder,Willow ....-........No Collapsed **110 G280 8 3950 26 54 Grass,Willow ........ ..........Collapsed (continued on next page) , )-1 I i -I 1 I -] , S'!IL07 --JM-l i ---1 ~--I --J SMT ..1 p SM-l , Table 24.Distances between den sites (miles)used in different years by radio-collared brown bears.Based on principle winter den,early spring dens not considered. Bear ID Sex Age 80/81-81/82 80/81-82/83 80/81-83/84*81/82-82/83 81/82-83/84*82/83-83/84*x S G283 F 13 in'81 3.2 2.4 1.6 5.3 4.9 1.7 3.2 1.6 G313 F 10 in'81 4.1 4.4 3.4 6.7 1.0 '5.7 4.2 2.0 G337 F 13 in'81 3.3 2.4 1.9 3.7 3.1 0.6 2.5 1.1 G344 F 5 in'81 3.1 1.5 3.8 1.6 1.2 2.5 2.3 1.0 G299 F 14 in'81 8.9 6.7 7.1 3.5 3.5 0.5 5.0 3.1 G280 M 6 in'81 8.1 6.3 6.0 2.0 2.5 0.5 4.2 3.0 G281 F 4 in'81 1.9 1.7 1.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 1.0,0.9 G335 F 4 'in'82 ---2.4 2.0 0.9 1.8 0.8 .....G340 4 in'82 0.3 17~7 17 .6 11.9 10.0.....F ---0 G342 M 3 in'82 ---1.3 7.1 7.4 5'.3 3.4 G312 F 11 in'81 2.1 0.6 -1.6 --1.4 0.8 G282 M 7 in'83 --- --4.5 4.5 G379 F 6 in'83 -----5.3 5.3 .\-4.3 3.3 3.6 2.6 4.3 3.9 (N-56)-3.7x..x S ..2.7 2.3 2.2 2.0 5.~5.1 s =3.5 Range =0.1-17.7 *83/84 den locations are preliminary,based on aerial locations. i I ~:-=-1 ---1 ---~1~~~1 -_I "'fUL07 !3M-2 p.2 Table 25.Den entrance and emergence dates of radio-collared brown bears for the Winter of 1980-81 (liS"is the standard deviation,but it inc1udesvart "lbUity from the fluctuatinq time between observations,as ~e11 as variability in denning times). 1980 Entrance 1981 Qaergence Days In Den Bear ID ~Rln.MaX.Rld.Rln.Sx.!M:..!!!!:.-Max.Rid. 280 M 13 Oct 21 Oct 20 Oct 7 Apr 21 Apr 14 Apr 162 190 176 281 F 13 Oct 27 Oct 20 Oct 7 Apr 21 Apr 14 Apr 162 190 176 283 F 9 Oct 27 Oct 18 Oct 30 Apr ,May 2 May 185 208 197 294 M -27 Oct -21 Apr 30 Apr 26 Apr 176 299 F 13 Oct 27 Oct 20 Oct.7 Apr 21 Apr 14 Apr 1.62 190 176 308 F 13 Oct 21 Oct 20 Oct 30 Apr 5 May 2 May 18~204 195 312 F 29 Sep --30 Apr 6 May 3 May 313 F 9 Sep 9 Oct 24 Sep 21 Apr 24 Apr 22 Apr 194 207 200 277 F -27 Oct -NO NO NO -..........MEAN Tncr ~n-ncr 19 APr 28 APr 23 Apr 175 198 ----nr7....."s"13 6 11 11 7 9 13 9 12 n 7 8 6 8 8 8 1 6 6 --- I J J t 1 1 _J 1 SM""'''''' 5"'-4 j p.3 j Table 26.Den entrance and e.rgence dates of radio-collared brown bears for the ,inter of 1981-82 ("S"is the standard deviation,but it includes variability from the fluctuating time between observations,as well as variability in denning times) 1981 Entrance 1982 Emergence Days In Den Bear 10 Sex Min.Max.Mld.MIn.!!!!:....m:....AIn.Max.Rid. 280 M 22 Sep 1 Oct 27 sep 19 Apr 6 Hay 28 Apr 200 226 213 281 F 1 Oct 7 Oct ..Oct 6 Hay 12 Hay 9 Hay 211 223 217 283 F 1 Oct 7 Oct 4 Oct 12 Hay 18 May 15 Hay 217 229 223 293 M 22 Sep 1 Jun 299 F 1 Oct 7 Oct 4 Oct 19 Apr 6 Hay 28 Apr 194 217 206 312 F 1 Oct 16 Oct 8 Oct 12 Hay 18 Hay 15 Hay '208 '229 218 313 F 7 Oct 16 Oct 12 Oct ~8 Hay 26 Hay 22 Hay 214 231 222 331 F 7 Oct 16 Oct 12 Oct 6 Hay 12 Hay 9 Hay 202 217 210 335 F 1 Oct 7 Oct 4 Oct 19 Apr 6 Hay 28 Apr 19~217 206 ~....337 F 1 Oct 7 Oct 4 Oct 18 Hay 26 Hay 22 Hay 223 237 230 I\J 340 F 7 Oct 16 Oct 12 Oct 19 Apr 6 JIlly 28 Apr 185 211 198 341 F 1 Oct 7 Oct 4 Oct 12 Hay 18 Hay 15 Hay 217 229 223 342 H 30 Oct 19 Apr 4 Hay 26 Apr 344 F 7 Oct 16 Oct 12 Oct 19 Apr 6 Hay 28 Apr 185 211 198• MEAN T'OCE 12 OCt 6 OCt 1 Miy R May 7 May 204 223 ----nI liS"5 7 5 12 9 10 13 8 10 n 13 13 11 13 14 1~12,12 I 12 •".1 ")1 -1 -~-"1 '--"~1l-.1 .] ---------j ------~---_~_J MCALLI i MC-':"J Table 27.Den entrance and emergence dates of radio-collared brown bears for the winter of 1982-83 «liS"is the standard deviation,but it included variability from the fluctuatin9 time betWltltn observations;as well as variability in denning t_s)~ 1982 Entrance 1983 Emergence Days in Den Bear In Sex Min.Max.~!!!!:.!!!!:.Mid.Min.!!!!:.~--- 280 M 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 17 Apr 25 Apr 21 Apr 184 201 193 281 F 6 Oct 20 Oct .13 Oct 14 May 16 May 15 May 206 222 214 283 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 14 May 15 May 15 May 211 221 217 299 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 23 May 1 Jun 28 May 220 238 230 312 F 6 Oct 20 Oct 13 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 I-pr 187 210 199 313 F 15 Oct 20 Oct 18 Oct 14 May 15 May 15 May 206 212 '209 335 F 20Sep 6 Oct 28 Sep 17 Apr 25 Apr 21 Apr 193 217 205 337 F 20 Oct 15 Nov 2 Nov 10 May 14 May 12 May 176 206 191 340 F 6 Oct 15 Nov 26 Oct,25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 161 210 186 344 F 20 Oct 15 Nov 2 Hov 14 May 15 May 15 May 180 207 194 282 M 20 Oct 15 nov 2 Hov 17 Apr 25 Apr 21 Apr 153 187 170 379 F 20 Oct 17 Nov 4 Hov 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 159 196 177. 381 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 17 Apr 25 Apr 21 Apr 184 201 193 380 F H.D.H.D.H.D.10 May 19 May 15 May 342 M N.D.N.D.H.D.17 Apr 25 Apr 21 Apr •.•._"".•~..••.•~••.,'._•.,..•."••._.~_.__._..:...•••_•••_.~~_.~'_•••M._•._.........\••---MEAN 12 Oct 28 Oct 19 Oct 1 May 8 May 5 May 186 210 198 "5"7 16 12 13 11 12 21 13 17 n 13 13 13 15 15 15 13 13 13 " .',' J 1 ",1 'J .-------]'1 i Mcul'l'l MC-7 Table 28.Brown bear den entrl!lD~and emergen~dates,winter of 1983/84. 1983 Entrance 1984 Emergence Days in Den. Bear 10 ~~~!!!!:.Min."!!!!.:.!!!!:.~!!!!.:.Mid. G279 II 26 Sep 24 Oct 10 Oct G280 II 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G281 F 26 Sep 24 Oct 10 Oct G282 II 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct: G283 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G293 M 27 Sep _._- -~.. G299 •F 27 Sep 24 OCt "11 OCt G313 'F 5 Oct 24 Oct ~5 Oct G315 F 26 Sep 24 Oct 10 Oct G335 F 15 Sep 26 Oct 6 Oct G337 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G340 F.5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G342 M 26 Sep 14 Noy 21 Oct G344 F 5 Oct 14 Nov 25 Oct G379 F 5 Oct 14 Nov 25 Oct G381 F 25 Oct G384 F 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G385 F 26"Sep 24 Oct 10 Oct G386 II 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G388 F 26 Sep 15 Noy 21 Oct G390 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G391 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G393 F 27 Sep G394 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G396 F 27 Sep 25 Oct 11 Oct G399 II 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G400 II 27 Sep 24 Oct 11 Oct G403 F 24 Oct 14 Noy 4 Nov --Mean 2 Oct 27 Oct 15 Oct "S"8.2 9.6 7.5 n 28 25 25 - ·=l.J5 - Table 30.Predicted and observed spring 1983 reproductive"status of radio~ollared female black bears•. 1D 289 301 317 318 327 321 349 361 363 354 329 367** 369** 378** 376** 374** 372** 375** 370** 377** 1983 age 10 10 8 8 13 6 8 5 6 3 5 5 7 7 8 10 10 8 5 Predicted 1983 status* cubs cubs cubs" cubs cubs cubs cubs yearlings barren cubs'! ,cubs" Cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs cubs Comments weanedr1gs and bred In '82 weaned r1gs aDd bred -in '82 weaned y1gs in 'Sl,no cubs in '8~ weaned r],gs in 'Sl,no cubs in '82 bred in '82 weaned y1gs in 181,no cubs in '82 lost cubs in '81,no cubs in f8Z no offspring in '82,or fall '81 no offspring in '82 no offspring in '82,bred cubs in 'S2 subadu1t,not bred in '82 first litter? first litter? first litter? first litter:?Thought might have had rIgs in spring '82,based on age this is now considered unlikely weaned yearlings in '81 (probably) bred in '82 may have weaned yearlings 1D 'S2 alone in 1982 alone in 1982 Observed 1983 status 2 cubs 2 cubs 2 cubs 2 cubs 2 cubs cubs 2 cubs 4 cubs alone weaned litter alone alone alone alone 3 cubs 3 cubs 2 cubs 2 cubs 2 cubs 1 cub at least - *See Table 18 in Miller 1983,p.69 **bear occurs in the downstream study area 116 -SMIL10 SM-l Table 31.Predicted spring ,1984 reproductive status of radio-collared female black bears. .Predicted Observed " 1D 1984 age '1984 status Comments 1984 status 321 14 cubs lost '83 litter in Kay NA 349 (missing)7 cubs apparently lost 183 lit,ter,shed collar NA 354 7 cubs weaned 183 yearlings NA 363 6 cubs alone in 183 NA 369**6 cubs?first litter -expec,ted in '84 NA-377**6 '"c::ubs 'apparently lost 183 litter,slled collar NA 402**11 cubs weaned 183 -yearlings NA 409**6 cubs 'apparently alone in 183 NA 411**9 cubs weaned 183 yearlings NA 289 13 1]'1q cubs in '83 NA 301 (JDissinq)11 ]'1gs cubs in '83,shed collar NA 1""'1 317 11 1]'1q cubs'in '83 NA ! 3,18 (lI1ssinq)9 1 1gs cubs in 183,shed collar NA 361 9 3]'lgs cubs in '83 NA 370**<missing)9 ]'lgs cubs in 183,lost contact-shot?NA 372**(lIl1ssinq)11 ]'198 cubs in 183,lost contact-shot?NA 375**11 1-2 ylqs cubs in 183 NA 376**8 3 ]'lgs cubs in 183 NA ~ 378**'83 NA!8 211qs cub~in 404**12 1-2]'198 cubs in 183,last seen in Ju1]'183 NA 4OS**18 2]'lqs cubs in 183 NA 406**12 2 ]',19S'CUbS in 183 NA 329 ..barren?first litter expected in 1985 NA **bear occurs in the downstream study area ,- SMIL09 SM-1 p.19 -- Table 32:Comparisons of blac~bear ages and sex ratios in upstream and downstream study areas.Includes bears 2.0 years old and older;.- age and sex ratio data based on first capture (recaptures not counted again). ....., I ...., UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM BOTH . STUDY AREA -STUDY AREA AREAS No.males captured 25 5-30· No.females captured'J 20 17 -37 No •males/100 females 125.0 29.4 81.1 Mean age (males)5.5 4.2 5.3 range (age of males)2-10 2-6 2-10 S.D.3.0 1.6 2.8 Mean age (females)6.9 7.5 7.1 range (age of females)2-12 3-17 2-17 S.D.2.9 3.5 3-2 mean age (both sexes)6.1 6.7 6.3 S.D.3.0 3.4 3.1 Statistical Tests: •Mean age of males is the same in each study area t •0.92,d.f.•28,P >0.2 -Mean age of females is the same in each study area t-0.59~d.f.-35,p >0.2 -Mean age of bears is same in each study area t -0.78,d.f.•65,p >0.2 •Mean age of males •mean age of females (ul-atream data) t •1.56,d.f.-43~p >0.10 •Mean age of males -mean age of females (do~stream data) t -2~00,d.f.-20,P <0.10* •Mean age of males -mean age of females (both areas) t -2.53,d.f.•65,p <0.025* -reject HO) BO •Same s~x ratio in each study area X •13.6,d.f.•3,p <0.005.* BO Bo BO HO HO HO (* ~SMILIO SM-2 Table 33.Status of black bears marked during Su-Hydro studies,1980-1983.(A=al1ve,ND=no data,-. F=shot in fall season,Sp=shot in spring season,S=Summer capture or mortality). Bear 10 Sex/Age 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Upstream Study Area 287 MIlO in '80 A A 'Shot-F 288 Fl10 in 'SO A(shed)NO NP NO .-289 F/9 in '80 A A A A 290 F/8 in '80 A A(remvd)NO NO 301 Fl7in '80 A A A NO (shed) 302 Nl8 in.·'80 A A A(shot?) 303 MIs in '80 A A A Shot-F 304 Hl10 in '80 A A A(shed)NO 30S M/9 in 'SO Shot-F 307 Ml2 in '80 A Shot-S 310 M/2 in '80 NO NO NO NO 316 F/12 in '80 Shot-!' 317 F/7 in 'SO A-S A A A 318 F/5in '80 A-S A A NO-shed 319 Nl3in'SO A-S died 320 Ml4 in '80 Shot-F 321 Fl10 in 'SO A-S A cubs A A 322 Hl4 in '80 A-S A died 323 Nl2 in 'SO A-S A A Shot-F 324 MIS in '80 A-S A A A 32S FIll in '80 A-S A Shed NO 326 F/5 in '80 Shot-F !327 FI5 in '80 A-S A A Oied-SI ,.328 F/6 in 'SO A-S A Shed NO 329 Fl1 in 'Sl A A A 330 MIl in 'SO died-S 342])MIS.in 'Sl Shot-F 346 Ml9 in.'Sl .A A A 348 M/9 in '81 A-S Shot-F 349 F/4 in '81.A-S A shed 354 F/5 in '82 A A 357 Nl4 in '82 died-If 358 Ml2 in '82 A A 359 Nl4 in '82 A A 360 KI7 in '82 A A 361 FI7 in '82 A A 362 F/2 in '82.NO NO 363 F/4 in '82 A A 364 F/9 in '82 A,shot? 379 F/9 in '83 died-S 387 F/4 in '83 A 401 K/3 in '83 A (continued.on next page) 119 .-SMILIO Table 33.Cont.SM-2 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 ~ Upstream subtotals '. , 1Iax:1mum No.bears potentially alive (includes NO)in year-(excludes natural mortalities UhF)24(12:12}24(12:12)27(12:15)25(10:15) "No.known shot U!:F)4(2:2)2(2:0)2(2:0~2(2:0)..- No.additional bears SUSPeCted shot (H:F.)0 0 2(1:1)0 '..- ,known or susPeCted shot 17%8'15'a, Downstreu Study Area 343 HIs in '81 A A A 365 HIS In'82 A Dled-F 366 H/6 in '82 Shot-F 367 F/4 111 '82 A Shot-S 369 P/4 111 '82 A A 370 p/7 in.'82 A (ShoU)-S 372,P/9 in '82 A (ShoU)-S 374 FI7 1D '82 A Shot-F 375 PIS 1D '82 A A 376 P/6 111 '82 A A 377 PIS 1D '82 A A 378 P/6 1D '82 A A 402 pII0 1D '83 A 404 pIll in '83 A 405 1'/17 111 '83 A 406 1'111 in '83 A 408 H/3 1D '83 A 409 PIS 111 '83 A 410 1'17 1D '83 Shot-S 411 F/8 in '83 A Downstream subtotals Max.No.bears potentially-alive (includes NO)in year (excludes natural mortalities) (H:F)1 (1:0)12(3:9)18(2:16) No.known shot (H:F)0 1(1:0)3 (0:3) No.additional bears suspected shot (H:F)0 0 2(0:2) ,known or suspected shot 8'28% .-(continued on next page) 120 ..... ,.,.. .- r- -- ..SMILIO Table 33.Cout.SM~2 1980·1981 1982 1983 1984' Upstream &Downstream Areas Combined Total bears potentially aUve 1D year (excludes natural IIOrtallties, includes NO)(M:F).24(12:12)25(13:12)'39(15:24)43(12:31) No.known shot (M:F)4(2:2)2(2:0)3(3:0)5(2:3) No.additional bears susp!cted shot (M:F)0 0 2 (1:1)2 (0:2) \;known or suspected shot 17%8\13\16\ ....... 121 SMILlO 'SK-l Table 34.SWIIIIIilry of apparent natural mortalities of radio-collared adult bears.Susitna Hydro project.Includes black bears '::'1 year of age and brown bears '::'2 year of 'age. sexlage (at death), Bear m reprod.status Black bears Comments B288 F/Wv:ith 3c 8319 H/4· 8330 Hll B357 11/4 8322 11/6 B321 F/8 w1th 2c 8379 F/9 with 3c 8365 8/6 - B291 8300 Brown bears G33l Hl3 Hl7 F17 Died 2-28 JUly,1980,2.months 'after capture,cause of death unknown. D1ed6-14 May,1980,2-10 days after .capture.,cause of death unknown but capture myopathy possible (H99/RoDlpun used,im!Dobil1zation and recovery were apparently normal)•. Not sure bear died but suspect that it did and collar was moved away froID carcass by predator.·Probably died 22-27 August,1980,6 months after capture. D1ed 29 July-4 August,1981,11 months after capture,cause unknown. D1ed 17-24 August,1981,5 months after capture in den with IIIOther and sibling,apparently killed and eaten by predator.Radio-collared female sibl1ng s~1ved (B329). Died winter of 1981,6 months after capture,apparently k1lled by another bear (spec1es?)at or near 1ts den and eaten. D1ed 24-29 June,1982,4 weeks after recapture (was very skinny and weighed an est.90 lbs),cause unknown. D1ed 20 June-l July,1983,4 months after recapture in den,killed by predator (probably bear)but not eaten (cub defense?). D1ed early July,1983 (?),3 months after recapture in den,canine punctures in scapula,in brown bear habitat,lost cubs earl1er. Suspect was k1lled by brown bear. Died Oc:t.1983,9 months after recapture in den.Scavenged (killed?) by wolves.Guess may have been wounded by hunter (no evidence).Good condition. Died 1-31 July,1982,14 months after capture,cause ot death unknown, hed DO cubs in 1982 but should have (weaned 2@2 in 1981).Bones not scattered.Weighed 284 lbs.on 5/81 (large). 122 SMIL09 8M-I. Table 35.Summary of black be"ar litter size data based on observations of bears with litters of newborn cubs.""". both'survived to yearling age lost 1 in August,2 survived COMMENTS lost 1 cub in Sept ••other survived ·survivorship undetermined,female shed collar ini.tia1 capture in summer,both survived to fall,cubs not seen with bear at initial capture MOTHER'S ID (age-year)LITTER SIZE B289 (IO in spring '81)3 B289 (I2 in spring '83)2 B301 (8 in spring '81)2 B301 (IO in spring '83). "2(in den) [2 "at exit] B317 (7 in SUDDDeJ;'80)2 (summer) M , i 'i ;I I I B317 (10 in '83)2(in den) [2 at exit] """B318 (5 in SUDDer '80)1 (summer)I i B318 (8 in 183)2 (den) [2 at exit] ·B328 (7 in SUDDDer '81)2 (summer) lost 1 in June;other survived survived both lost by 6/6/83 apparently, shed collar bred in 1980.Lost 1 by 7/29/81. shed co1la~in den (not sure if survived until exit) B326 (5 in SUDDDer '80)2 (summer)bear shot in 1980,cubs may have been adopted by B317 B321 (11 in spring '8l)2 110 cubs in summer 1980,both cubs lost by 8/24/81,no litter in '82, no litter verified in 1983 but may have lost a litter early in 1983, bred in 1983 ~ i ""'"; I B327 (5 in summer '80) B327 (8 in 183) B349 (6 in spring 183) 2 (summer) 2 (den) [2 at exit] 2 (den) [0 at exit?] both survived to yearling age cubs survived into June,female died in July first litter,no cubs in summer '81 or spring '82.cubs apparently lost in May.collar shed in July B354 (5 in '82)2 both survived to den entrance.at least 1 y1gs.at exit in '83 B361 (8 in '83)4(in den) [3 at exit] lost 1 in den prior to exit. others survived B370 (8 in '83)2(in den) [2 at exit] bear missing after 5/23/83,cubs alive at that time Table 35.(cont'd) MOTHER'S ID (age-year) B372*(10 in '83) B374*(7 in.'83) B375*(6 in '83) B376*(5 in '83) LITTER SIZE 3{in den) (3 at exit] 3 2 3(in den) [3 at exit] COMMENTS lost 1 in early July,others survived to 7/20,female lost in Sept. think lost 2 in July,bear shot in Sept. think both survived all survived SMIL09 8M-I .. ", B377*(6 in '83)[1-211] NOT COUNTED cubs may have been lost prior to or during capture,cubs not seen during capture but saw at least 1 cub 9 days ~arlier on 5/10/83 B378*(7 in '83)2 (den) [2 at exit] B379 (9 in '83)3 (den) [2 at exit] B404*(11 in '83)1 B40S*(17 in'83)2 B406*(11 in '83)2 B41O*(7 in '83)2 both survived lost all cubs by 5/23/83,bred again,died in July survived thru 7/20 at least both survived both survived both survived thru June,bear shot in,July Total number /number of of cubs litters mean litter size (range)comments 59 27 2.2(1-4)all cub litters counted at earliest observation 46 .21 2.2(1-3)spring observations only (w/o den data or summer litters)-52 22 2.4(1-4)earliest observationI I excluding summer litters -27 11 2.5{2-4)observations in dens only *Downstream study area 124 SMIL09 SM=l Table 36.Summary of black bear litter size data based on observations of bj!ars with litters of yearlings. MOTHER'S ID (age-year)LITTER.SIZE B289 (9 in 1980)2 B289 (11 in 1982)2(in den) ....B301 (7 in 1980)1 I B301 (9 in 1982)2 B317 (8 in 1981)2 COMMENTS weaned by5/22/8Q,bred,3 cubs in '81 weane~by 6/9/82,bred,had 2 cubs in 1983 weaned by 6/12/80.bred,had 2 .'cubs in 1981 weaned by 6/17/82,bred,had 3 cubs in 1983 weaned by 6/18/81,bred,1 ylg returned and was with female until 9/9/81,no cubs in 1982 - B318 (6 in 1981) B327 (5 in 1981) 1 (den) .2(den) ylg (B330)weaned by 5/29/81, bred.ylg died by 8/24/81 ,no (reason?)cubs in 1982,bred again,2 cubs in 1983 ylg B329 and sibling,sibling weaned by 6/5/81,B329 by 6/21, bred,no cubs in 1982,bred again.cubs in 1983 ~B354 (6 in 1983)1(?) ~ B402 (10 in 1983)3 B411 (8 in 1983)Z B288 (10 in 1980)3 ~ B290 (8 in 1980)2 at least 1 ylg exited den (perhaps both?),weaned by 6/2/83 weaned in early July weaned after 6/13 Bred in 1980,ylgs.with female into August,shed collar in 1980 weaned by 6/23/80,bred in 1981, collar removed on 8/5/81 (neck scarred) Total number number of of ylgs.observed litters mean litter size (range)comments 23 12 1.9(1-3) 125 all litters with ylgs.counted ·._}-~·-1 1 S~~:;~Jg SM-l Table 37.Summary of ~own losses of black bear cubs.Losses calculated during fir$t season out of den (in dens or at emergence from dens as cubs to entrance into dens as cubs) •.•.•."J Year Upstream study area downstream study area Both areas 1980 no data no data 1981 3 of 7 lost (289.301,321)no data 1982 0 of 2 lost (354)no data 1983 complete data 6 of 11 lost (289,317,361,379).1 of 12 lost (375,376,377, .378,405,406) 3 of 7 lost o of 2 lost. 7 of 23 lost 1983 incomplete data.4 of 4 lost (328,349)3 of 6 lost (372,374) 1983 preliminary total 10 of 15 •67%lost........, Q'I TOTALS (all years)13 of 24 •54%lost 4 of 18 •22%lost 4 of 18 ~22%lost 7 ·9£10 lost 14 of 33 ~42%lost 17 of 42 •40%lost *incomplete data ~a8u1ted from not observing the IamilY-·status of the bear before it entered,its 1983/84 den, shed collars,collar failures,or early hunter ki1ls~Tabulated losses occurred prior to 10s8 of the female to these causes.' B404 (last seen on 7/20/83)not included in 1983 B377 may have lost 2 of 2 rather than the 1 of 1 tabulated in 1983,the initial litter size was not known with certainty. .. ........ SMILO~ ,SM-l Table 38.Morphometries of black bear cubs-of-year handled,in the Susitna Hydro" Project. CUB MOTHER'S DATE ID ID HANDLED SEX WT(lbs)COMMENTS ""'1 B301 20 March 1983 (den)F 2.6- !B301 20 March 1983 (den)F 2.5 """,'B361 21 March 1983 (den)M 3.5 ,I B361 21 March 1983 (den)F 3.8 I B361 21 March 1983 (den)F 3.5 B361 21 March-1983 (den)F 2.8 B349 22 March 1983 (den)F 3.5 B349 22 March 1983 (den)F 3.4 B317 23 March 1983 (den)M 4.3 neck-175mIil B317 23 March 1983 (den)M 4.3 neck-180mm B318 23 March 1983 (den)M 2.8 B318 23 March 1983 (den)F 2.7 B327 23 March 1983 (den)M 5.3 neek-19Omm B327 23 March 1983 (den)F 4.5 neck-180mm B379 24 March 1983 (den)M 2.8 B379 24 March 1983 (den)M 3.3-B379 24 March 1983 (den)M 3.3 1~ ,B372 15 April 1983 (den)F 3.7I I B372 15 April 1983 (den)F 4.1 I""i"B372 15 Apr11 1983 (den)M-4.5 , I I i , I B376 16.April 1983 (den)M 6.0 neck-190mm B376 16 April 1983 (den)F 5.5 neck-190mm,""'i".B376 16 April 1983 (den)F 5.8 neck-190mm! B370 16 April 1983 (den)F 7.5 neck::02OOmm ~B370 16 April 1983 (den)F 7.0 neck=19Omm ! 010 B374 19 May 1983 F neck-175mm,ear tags 011 B374 19 May 1983 F neck-200mm,ear tags 012 B374 19 May 1983 F neck-195mm,ear tags 013 B404 19 L:ay 1983 F 10.0 neck-215mm,ear tags 014 B405 19 May 1983 F 6.5 neck-180mm,ear tags 015 B405 19 May 1983 F 6.0 neck-175mm,ear tags 355 B354 26 May 1982 F ear tags 356 B354 26 May 1982 'M ear tags Totals:11 males and 22"females,In dens-l0 males and 15 females. 127 ~ I - SMILO~ ,SM-1 Table 39.Morphometries of black bear yearlings handled in the Susistna Hydro Project. •·~.o';'·.••• YLG MOTHER'S DATE ID ID HANDLED SEX WT(lbs)COMMENTS B329 B327 23 Marc·h 1981 (den)F 15 (est.)-tagged and collared B330 B318 25 March 1981 (den)M 31 ~.agged and collared' B350 B289 '1 April 1982 (den)M 14 ear tagged B351 B289 1 April 1982 (den)M 16 ear tagged B353 B301 26 May 1982 'M 29 with mother,capture mortality Totals:4 males and 1 female 128 SMIL05 SM-22 ,-Table 40.Results of downstream (Curry-Devils Canyon)black bear census effort on 24 May 1983. ....' -Marked black. Sample Unitl Size Time spent Total black (No.bears present* (observer)(mi 2 )(min.)bears seen marked)(bear ID 37 20.1 0 343 40 12.4 0 .369;406 41 9.8 0 42N 12.8 0 42S 15.0 o·367 43 (sm)14.6 72 2 (0)409 44 (dcm)37.7 105 0 (0)410;411; 372;370 45 (dcm)20.8 115 2+3c ··(0)405;408; 377;376; 402;404 46 (am)12.3 62 1+1c (0) 47 (sm)14.7 29 1 (0)375;378 TOTALS:170 ..2 present ·383 6+4c (0)17 (13 in 100.1 counted SUs counted) *Based on precensus radio-tracking flight on 23 May 1983.Black bears 374 and 365 were outside of the sample unit borders on this flight although 374 had moved inside (SU 46)by June 1. - 129 SMIL05 SM-22 Table 41.Results of upstream (Devils Canyon-Oshetna)black bear census effort on"" 24-25 May 19'83. ..."~ ""i I 1 ! .1"'1', I I Sample UnitU (observer) .1.(dcm) ·2 3 4 (sm) 5 (dcm) 6 (sm) 7A (dcm) 7B 8 (dcm) 9 (dcm) 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 (am) 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 TOTALS: 11.6 25.6 18.9 15.4 14.0 13.4 11.3 10.1 12.6 20_..1 9.0 14.9 19.4 12.5 11.4 7.6 13.1 9.6 11.2 8.7 22.7 14.2 7.7 9.6 11.8 20.9 20 •.7 8.6 13.4 14.0 10.8 12.1 11.9 9.5 19.5 14.6 17.9 ". 496.9 present 131.5 counted Time spent (min.) 54 o o 57 '. 63 52 43 o 64 68 o o o o o o o o 71 o o 68 45 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 585 Total black bears seen, o o o o o 1+2c 3 o o o £"+2c "(No. marked) (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) (1-317) (0) (0) (0) (0) (1) Marked black bears present* (bear ID) 324;303;321 379 401 317;318 329;327 289 349;387 361 359 360;358;323 363 354 301 20 (7 in SUs counted) *During precensus flight on 23 May 1983.All radio-marked bears were found inside the sample units except B346 and this bear was inside SU 29 on 2 June 1983. 130 SHIL11 SM-15 .,- Table 42.Results of upstream (Devils Canyon-oshetna)!black bear census effort on,_-. 19-20 August 1982. ""'i I "l I i I Sample Unit' (observer) 1 (sm) 2 3 4 (sm) 5 (sm) 6 (sm) 7 (n) 8 (sm) 9 (sm) 10 (sm) 11 12.(dcm) 13 (dcm) 14 (am) 15 (dcm) 16 (dcm) 17 18 (dcm) 19 20 (sm) 21 (dcm) 22 (dcm) 23 (am) 24 (dcm) 25 (sm) 26 27 (n) 28 29 (dcm) 30 (dcm) 31 (dcm) 32 (dcm) 33 (dcm) 34 (dcm) 35 (am) 36 .<sm) 37**(dcm) Size (111 2 ) 11.6 25.6 18.9 15.4 14.0 13 ..4 21,,4- 12.6 20.1 9.0 14.9 19.4 12.5 -11.4 _7.6 13.1 9.6 11.2 8.7 22.7 14.2 7.7 9.6 11.8 20.9 20~7 8 ..6 13.4 14.0 10.8 12.1 11.9 9.5 19-.5 14.6 17.9 20.1 Time spent (min.) 55 47 3~ 34 79 47 46 35 67 54 42 41 47 4.7 , 92 73 51 38 29 79 65 25 55 55 50 40 58 56 74 40 67 Total black bears seen (No.[marked) 3(1) ! i _";;- otO) 0(0) 2(1) 3(3) 0(0) 1(0) 1(0) \ 1(0) 2(0) 1(1) 1(0) Of 0) 0(0) 2(0) 1(0) 0(0) 2(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 1(0) 1(1) •2(0) 1(1) 5(1) 0(0) 6(0) 1(0) 1(0) Marked black bears present* (bear ID) 321 289 287,303,324,317 329,327 361,364 349 357,358,323 363 354,359 301 346 360,318 TOTALS:5l7.0 present 1627 439.3 counted _ 38(9)21 (all in SUs counted) ,....*During precensus flight on 17-18 Aug.1982.All radio-marked bears were found inside the sample units. **In 1982-SU 37 was included in the downstream study area. 131____________________.......::~:......_-------------------1 132 SMIL10 SM-1 Table 43b.Spring home ranges (Jan -10 July)sizes (km 2 )of individual female black bears upstream of Devils Canyon used as basis for density calculations.Only bears ~3 y included in SUIIIIIli1rY •Number of points indicated in brackets. "'... Il-~Bear m(age in first year Inclusive .., monitored 1980 1981 1982 1983 1980-1983 ., B288 (10)3.8[10](shed in sep) 8289(9)30.6 [8}21.5 [9](w/3o)15.8[81.2.7[8],48.7[33] !""'"B29O(8)34.2[11]19.0[11}(tbru 8/6 -49.1[22} collar removed) B301(7)8.0[11]1.3[7}(v/2o)8.9[10]0~8[8](wf2c)18.50[36],....tbru July-shed B317 (7)-(summer capt.8.0[9]6.5 [8]6.1[9](v/2o)13.9[26] v/2cr shot 9/8 8318(5)-(SU8er capt.)11.7[9]16.3 [9]4.4[7](tbru 23.4[25] 7/8 shed B321 (10)-(summer capt.)4.2{7](w/2c)12.9[10]24.1[10] 27.4[27] 8325(11)-(suauaer capt.)-(summer)-(shed) B327 (5)-(summer capt.,30.1[26]13.0[8]"5.5[9](v/2c)34.1 [43] v/2o)died 7/8 B328·(6}-(SUJlllller capt.)2.1[9](v/2c)-(shed) 8329(1 in 1981)7.3 [8](aqe=1)4.1[8](age=2)4.5 [9]19.1[25] 8349(4)-(SUllllller capt.)8~6[10]15.8 [7](lost 24.4[17] cubs in May)- shed 8/1..... B354 (5)16.1 (7](v/2o)50.2{8]67.3[15] B361 (7)22.6[7]46.1[7](w/3c)72.6[14]-B363 (4)13.4[7] 18.3[9]24.6 [16] 8364(9)82.8{7](tbru ~Sep radio failed?) B379(9)3.8[7](3 cubs lost in May, died 7/1) ~SUZ:ri!by.bear-lear (all females)(Overall mean) =9.2 12.2 19.7 15.2 16.4 S.D.=15.5 10.4 21.4 17.0 16.7 N=4 8 11 12 35 range=:3.8-34.2 1.3-30.1 6.5-82.8 0.8-50.2 0.8-82.8 Females w/o cubs Mean=19.2 17.2 20.1 17.4 11~t8 S.D.=15~5 9.7 22.5 18.3 1~.8 H=4 4 10 6 24 r-range=3.8-34.2 8.0-30.1 6.5-82.8 2.7-50.2 3.8-82.8 Females w/cubs Mean=7.3 16.1 13.0 11.2 S.D.=9.6 17.0 13.5 H=0 4 1 6 11 range=1.3-21.5 0.8-46.1 0.8-46.1 -------- ],;33 SMIL10. SM-l Table 44.Sprinq home ranqe (Jan -10 July)sizes Ckm 2 )of individual female black bears downstream of Devils Canyon used as basis for density calculations.Only bears >3 years of aqe included in sUIIIIIIarY.Number of points indicated in brackets.- 134 --~l 1 -··-1 1 -1 )1 J SMIL11 5H-15 1 ] Table 45.Annual home range sizes for the Su Hydro dowstre8lD black bears (inciudes individuals with 5 or IIOre locations). 1982 1983 10 (age in first ObservatIon PerIOd Home RiDge ObservatIon period ROme Ringe year monitored)(No.of Locations)(02 )(No.of Locations)(02 )Co_ents MALES 408 (3)------Hay-Oct (16)217 365 (5)Hay-Sep (11)656 Hay-sep (15)252 died 9/83 366 (6)May-Aug (10)136 shot 9/82 FEMALES 369 (4)Hay-sep (18)10 Hay-Oct (20).26 367 (4)tfay-sep (17).18 Hay-Jul (9)4 •.. 317 (4)Jun-Sep (15)12 May-Oct (18)25 (w/oubs)* 409 (5)----Hay-Oct (16)26 376 (6)Jun-Sep (13 )21 .May-Oct (21)34(w/3@c) ....378 (6)Jun-SeJ»(14)8 May-Oct (20)10(w/2@C)w U1 370 (7)Hay-Sep (18)16 Hay [4]--(w/cubs)lost 5/83 374 (7)malfunction [3]--Hay-Sep (16)30(w/3@c)shot 9/83 410 (7)----Hay-Jul (9)19(w/2@C)shot 7/83 411 (8)----May-Oct (17)31 372 (9)May-sep (17)56 Hay-Aug (13)76(w/2@C)lost 9183 375 (9)Jun-Sep (16)17 Hay-Jul (9)4(w/2@C) 402 (10)----Hay-Oct (17)13 404 (11)----Hay~Oct (16)36(w/l@c) 406 (U)----Hay-Oct (1l)18(w/2@c) 405 (17)----Hay-Oct (17)25(w/2@£) i(aU females)=(16.0)19.8 (15.7)25.1 S.D.=--1.9 15.3 4.0 17.3 range =(13-18)8-56 (9-21)4-76 x(all males and females)=14.9 95.0 15.7 50.4 S.D.=2.9 200.9 3.7 73.2 range =(10-18)(8-656)(9-21)(4-252) *litter lost In May ... --I )-I ]]1 )--]--B j SMIL11 SM-15 Table 46.Annual home range sizes for Su-Hydro upstreQ ,tudy area black bears.(Includes individuals with ,or lIIOre locations). 1980 1981 1982 19B! Bear ID Obs.Period Ho_Sqe Cbt1!.PerIoll Rome Sge Cbs.PeriOd Home RiDge Cbs.PeriOd Home Range (age @capture)(No.locations)(ga)_(No.locations)(ga)(No.locations)(ga)(No.location)(tm a ) Males ~1)-----f!ay-Oct (14 )10 dead 7/81 323 (2)Aug-Oct (6)20 May-Oct (19)383 May-Oct (20)1126 f!ay-Sep (17)1089(shot 9/83) 358 (2)------------May-Oct (17)11 f!ay-Oct (17)53 319 (3)May-Ju1 (6)67 f!ay-Jul (10)'.3 dead 7/81 ---,.~~ 401 (3)--..-----------f!ay-Oct (18)91 291 (4)May-Ju1 (7)-20 Dead 7/80 ---~--~-....-.. 322 (4)Aug-oct (5)10 Shed 12/80 May-Ju1 (7)n dead 7/82 359 (4)---------..--May-Oct (18)-83 f!ay-Oct (19)154 357 (4)------------May-Oct (18)11 dead 10/82T.... w l87 (4)---~~---------f!ay-Oct (16)164en 324 (5)Auq-Oct (6)29 f!ay-Oct (20)248 f!ay-Oct (21)140 May-Oct (17)170 3428(5)---..--May-SeP (40)611 shot 9/81 343 (5)------f!ay-Oct (16)289 f!ay-Oct (19)370 -May-Oct (20)501 302 (8)May-Ju1 (6)4 May-Oct (36)326 (shed)May-Ju1 (11)51 'missing, 303 (8)May-Oct (15)95 f!ay-Oct (18)(93 May-Oct (20)74 May-Aug (11)U(shot 9/83) 305 (9)May-Aug (9)48 shot 8/80 ---------..-- 346 (9)------May-Oct (16)62 May-Oct (22)91 May-Oct (16)119 348 (9)------Aug-Oct (7)389 May ..Jun (9)136 .shot 9/82 287(10)May-Oct (17)136*May-Oct (15)268*May-Sep (18)250 shot 9/82 304 (10)May-Sep (15)35*May-Oct (18)41*shed 7/82 x(a11 ma1es)=(9.2)46.0 (18.3)230.3 (16.7)197.0 (16.8)253.8 S.D.:;--42.0 --184.5 --311.0 --343.4 range :;(5-17)4-136 (7-40)10-611 (9-22)11-1126 (11-20)43-1089 (ContInued on next page) ...... 1 '~~~])1 )1 1 -~1 SMILll SM-15 Table 46.(continued) 1980 1981 '1982 1983 Bear ID Dbs.Period Home Range Obs.Period Home RiDge lils.Period HOlDe RiDge'Obs~Period Home Ringe (air;@ capture)(No.locations).(km 2 ),(No.locations)(km2 )(No.locations)(km2 )(No.locations)Ucm 2 ) p~ J 1 --I 1 j 1 -1 1 »SIULU} SM-1 Table 47.ColDparisons of berry abundance in 4 transects in 1982 &1983 (10 plots of one s~are meter:/transect)in the impoundment study area. TnDsect 1 Transect 4 Transect 2 Tnnsect 3 Location ~tween Vee Canyon Con'luence of Vella Canyon-Middle Deadman- and Oshetna Susitna R.and DeadmllQ Oshetna Ck.Natana Camp (upstream)(downstnuJ (upstr:eam)(downstream) Elevation 2325 feet 2100 feet 3050 feet 2450 feet Aspect 218 0 239 0 216 0 201 0 Slope 8 0 40 50 70 Veg,tation tme .NSB NSB B*B Date 8721782 8/18/~.8/21782 8718/83 8/21/82 .8/18783 8/21782 8718783 Blueberries (Vacciniua u1iginosua) No.berries 303 238 32 U 489 1104 range (no/plot)1-191 0-120 0-8 0-19 0-164 59-202 S.D.5?39 3.2 6.2 54.9 53.6 ,canopy cover: lDean 21.2 24.0 31 :U.5 36.0 41.0 range 5-60 10-40 15-70 10-60 5-80 15-70 S.D.15.9 11.3 17.9 15.9 24.6 19.3 Lowbush cranberry (V.vitis-idaea) No.berries -21 94 0 127 45 604 range 0-15 0-23 -0-114 0-16 4-109 1-6 S.D.5.1 9.1 ~35.6 -36.7w,canopy cover:CO lDean 3.4 15.1 3.9 9.3 6.7 36.5 range 0-10 1-50 0-15 0-25 2..,.10 15-80 S.D.3.5 14.8 5.1 11.7 3.0 19.6 77 0-31 11.7 57.0 15-80 23.0 23 0-15 8.7 0-30 8.6 297 0-119 39.4 44.5 30..,.70 15.0 102 0-33 U.S 20.0 10-60 15.5 344 0-128 40.1 16.5 0-30 11.1 0.4 0-2 ,1 18.0 0-50 17.5 10.9 0-50 14.5 18.5 5-35 11.1 10.2 0-30 10.2 8.0 0-30 8.9 2.9 0-10 3.4 CrOWberrIes (EDlpetrum ~) No.berries -'7 65 112 614 200 452 ' range/plot 0-10 0-39 0-58 0-261 0-50 0-169 S.D.3.1 13.0 17.9 80.8 19.7 52.8 ,Canopy cover: lDean range S.D. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursl) No.of berries 22 22 0 0 0 0 '0 range/plot 0-20 0-19 o *Transect #2 was clearly in a birch shrub type although according to the vegetation map it was in woodland black spruce (NSS). Berryweights on 8/18/83= 130 glOs/lODO for V.vitis-idaea 304 glOs/10CO for v.ullglnosum 260 glOs/lODO for E.nlgrum .'.',I' "j" SMIL07 SM-1 Table 48.Subjective characterization of berry abundance in the upstream study area since 1980. Year 1980 1981 Characterization of Berry Abundance normal very poor Comments No special effort "was made to evaluate berry abundance,black bears were very common in the shrub lands adjacent to forested habitats and in forested habitats. Extensive unanticipated movements of radio-marked black bears in late summer provided first clue that something was amiss.On the ground inspection supported hypothesis that blueberries were very scarce.Bears were in very poor condition the following spring in both upstream and downstream area.Three marked black bears died (Table 34)in 1981 following the summer berry failure.Bears were common in semi-open shrub lands. - 1982 slightly sub-aver~ge Berry transects supported hypothesis that berries were more abundant in shrublands than in adjacent forests.Low reproductive success evident in spring 1982 and bears tended to be very skinny.In summer bears foraged"in shrublands but there appeared to be many fewer bears in the study area than in 1980. Would have concluded a massive emmigration in 1981 except that the marked bears that moved away had all returned.Possibly there was an increased mortality rate resulting from the 1981 berry failure.One marked bear died in 1982 compared to 3"in the previous and following years.Mortality could have been most marked on subadults,only 2 of these were radio-marked. (continued on next page) 139 SMIL07 SM-l Table 48.(continued) .:'..-. -[ I -! r ! 1983 above-average Berry transects suggest more berries than in 1982, especially crowberriesand lowbush cranberries. Although not evident !n the transect data it appeared that blueberries were locally very abundant in forested habitats "and bears did not have to,and didn't,move into "the shrub land habitat types to forage for berries in late summer.Some black bears expected to produce their first litters in 1983 failed to do so suggesting delayed age of first reproduction may have resulted from 1981 berry , failure.Appeared to be many fewer bears present than in 1980. 140---------------,--------_-:-_----- 1 I ····-1 --1 -1.]1 -1 J SMI SM Table 49.Scat analyses of broWQ bear and black bear Ilcats collected 1n the Su-Hydro study area,1983.(Analyses done by Paul Smith,ADF&G, Soldotna).Values are'volume (T=trace,2=6-25\,3=26-50\,4=51-75\,5=76-100\). Date Species of Sample Collected bear Location No.Comments 1 2 3 4 5 7 9 lQ 11 12 13 14 15 '16 17 18 Summer -Fall -Sloughs 8/25/83 1 downstream 5 Slough SA 5 2 8/25/83 1 downstream 7 Slough 8A T 5 8/25/83 1 downstreu 8 Slough SA 5 .8/25/83 1 downstr,u 28 Slough 8A T 5 2 8/25/83 1 downstream 31 Slough SA 4 2 T T 8/24/83 1 downstream 13 Slough 8B '1'5 '1'T 8/24/83 1 downstream 4 Slougb 8B 5-0 '1'T T 8/24/83 1 downstream 21 Slough 8B T 5 T 8/24/83 1 downstream 17 Slough 8B 5 T T 8/24/83 1 downstream 30'Slough 8B '1'T 4 '1'T T 8/24/83 1 downstream 6 Slough 8B l'4 '1'2 8/24/83 1 downstreu 18 Slough 8B 3 ~T 2 8/24/83 1 downstream 9 Slough 8B 3 '1 3 T 8/24/83 1 downstream 15 8B +'nelDatode 3 3 3 8/25/83 1 downstream 14 Slough SA 4 T T T 8/25/83 1 downstream 22 Slough 8A '1'2 2 5 l'(ants)2 8/25/83 1 !lownstream 3 Slough 11 5 8/26/83 BRB1 downstream 43 Slough 20 ."....3...8/26/83 BRB1 downstream 33 Slough :n 5 T c:o.8/26/83 BRB1 downstream 29 Slough 21 .'1'5 '1'T...8/26/83 BRB1 downstream 26 Slough 21 5 8/26/83 1 downstream 24 Slough 21 3 3 2 T 8/26/83 1 downstream 16 McKenzie ct.5 T T T T 8/25/83 1 downstream 19 Moose Ck.2 5 T T T 8/25/83 1 downstream 27 Moose Ck.5 T 8/25/83 1 downstream 11 Moose Ck.5 8/24/83 1 downstream 12 Slough 8 '1''1'5 T 8/25/83 1 downstreu 23 Slough 8A '1'5 or (ants) 8/25/83 1 downstream 20 Slough SA 5 8/25/83 1 downstreu'25 Slough A'T 3 3 T "T T 8/18/83 1 upstream 42 Berry Plot #1 3 T T 2 8/18/83 1 upstream 44 Berry Plot #2 3 3 T T T T 8/18/83 1 upstream 45 Berry Plot #1 T 3 T T 3 8/18/83 1 upstream 46 Berry Plot #1 2 3 2 Spring Samples 5/19/83 Bl<B upstream 36 B404 2 5 6/7/83 ?upstream 32 Forest area 5 6/7/83 Bl<B upstream 34 B36l den 5 T 2 6/8/83 1 upstream 35 +nematodes 3 3 6/8/83 BKa upstream 40 B372 den 5 6/9/83 BKB upstream 10 B374 5 6/10/83 BKa upstream 37 B358 den 2 2 2 T T ,T 6/9/83 ?downstream 38 Deadhorse Ck.5 T (Contlnued) "/'' I l j j j ]I 1 J -)-]J ] .... 01:00 N Table 49.(continued) 1.Eratsetum SPP.(borsetall)8.L ebens 9.Grasses or sedges Berries 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 17 • Animal Matter 11.Hoose U.Hare Or gr9Ulld squinel._ise. 13.Featbers 14.Fisb . .15.Insects 16.Other Hlac.· , SMIL03 8M-4 ,I .,"•.' ..... SMILll SM-15 Table SO.Salmon abundance in downstream sloughs and streams,1981-1983. AREA RIVER MILE No.Adult Salmon Enumerated* 1981 (N**>1982 lR**)1983 (R**) - Slough 21 Slough 11 Slough SA Slough 20 Slough 9A . Hoose Slough SloughSB Slough 8e Slough 17 Slough 15 Slough B Slough 9 Slough 6A Sloughs A &A' Slough 8 Slough 98 Slough 19 Slough 22 Mainstream Zone 3 141.0 135.3 125.1 140.0 133 ..3 123.5 U~.~ -121 ..9 138.9 137.2 126.3 128.3 112.3 124.7 113.7 129.2 139.7 144.5 .135.2 747 (5) 5483 (9) 1283 (5) 27 (2) 484 (6) 555 (5). 1 (1) (0) 169 (7) 1 (1) NA 380 (5) 27 (3) 437 (10) 8SS (5) 678 (7) 84 (6) HA NA 2424 (9) 4806 (11) 1804 (10) 220 (7) 146 (3) 115 (7) 190 (6) 105 (3) 29 (4) 178 (3) 225 (6) 911 (6) 101 (4) (0) (0) (0) (0) NA HA 1904 (13) 5067 (23) 843'(20) .201 (20) 217 (3) 392 (is) 240 (6) (0) 182 (8) 20 (5) 9 (1) 1081 (9) 2 (1) 528 (16) (0) (0) 18 (6) 274 (4) 252 (2) -. Slough 2 .100.~44 (5)0 103 (4) Indian R·~1v~e~r:,.w-----l"'3!1"1!8l""'.:1!"'6-----2.-o!3l'll1'2-.,..(1"')-----~61""1!'1'10:or3-l,...1"1'12T"'---1l'1l958I!"!'1""'"I"'U'"'6"'l"- ..r-Lane Ck 4th of JUly Ct. Litlle Portage ek. Lower McKenzie Ct. 5th of July Ct. Skull CIt. Portage CIt. 113.6 131..0 1b.7 123.7 124.7. 148..9 569 (7) 247 (6) HA 97 (6) 2 (1) 24 (3) 22 (1) 2508 (11) 283~(11) 407 (9) 492 (6) 224 (4) 36 (4) 2238 (7) 118 (9) 636 (9) 10 (2) 46 (6) 24 (4) 1 (1) 4651 (13) (conUnuea on next page) 143 I - I I I I I I * These data sum all live and dead fish (Chinook, Sockeye, Pink, Chum, and Coho Salmon) recorded by Su;'Hydro AA personnel (ADF&G) during stream surveys. Different areas were surveyed from 1 to 11 times during the year which contributes to variation . observed between areas and between years in this data, survey conditions also varied. Note that the same fish would likely be recorded numerous times in replicate surveys. ** N is the number of surveys conducted where salmon were enumerated, surveys where no -salmon were seen are not counted. *** The portion of the Indian River evaluated by Fisheries personnel varied in 1981 and 1982. Most fish were found in 1982 in a tributary about ~ mile up from the mouth (Crowe, per. commun.) during our investigation of the Indian River we did not observe - this location.I I - - - - - - II 144 SMIL07SM-l \Ranking \of bear and salmon use of downstream sloughs and creeks on 24-25August,j1983.(O-lowest on scale of 0-10)...'. ~Index of Index of salmon presence bear use BRB tracks 1 salmon eaten by'abear,BRB tracks entrance into slough blocked B404 B404,B411 B376,B402 - B378 apparent use by radio- collared individualsComments flooded less bear ~ign than last year flooded and muddy flooded 1 1 4 4 1 1 1 2 '2 2 3 1 1 1 'I 1 3 0- 1 3 Z 1 o o 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 ., I ~ ~ I j I j I """ Table 51. ..... I .....Slough No. 7 8 ~ SA 8B l"~ I 8e aD A A'-9 9B ~9A 10 -11 17 _19 20 21 I Lane Ck _Lower McKensie 'Ck McKensie Ck ~Portage Ck DeadhorseCk Moose and Clear I'-Creeks 5th of July _4th of July -2. 1 o o o I 1 5 1 1 I 1 o 3 1, I about 20 pinks'seen few salmon human trail along Ck to homesite B343 B374 lots of salmon at mouth of creek B405,B411 *Had been lots of rain and sloughs were very high and muddy,salmon were difficult to spot in the sloughs. 145· 1 1 1 J 01 J ]]-01 1 ] Table 52.(continued) Yr.Initial No.River Crossings by '1stre8lll bears Bear ID capture (age)198(j 0 J981 1 82 1983 Comments SMIL07 SM-1 shed collars 1981,1982 2 0 '--!ihed .c..Q11ar~1981,1982 Females (upstream) 329 1981(1) 349 1981(4) 363 1982(4) 379 1983(4) 318 1980(5) 326 1980(5) 327 1980(5) 354 1982(5) 328 ~'i80(6)..... ~364 .1982(6)..... 301 1980(7) 317 1980(7) 361 1982(7) 290 1980(8) 289 1980(9) 288 1980(10) 321 1980(10) 325 1980(11) 316 1980(11) Total females .(upstream) Total both sexes (upstream) 0*1 o 1*2 2 0*2 4*1 4 0*3 o o o 11 22 2 o o 14 46 2 o o o 18 44 (continued) 5 o o o o 1*2 o 0*1 0*3 1*2 o 7 32 327.'s cub shed collar 7/83 active dead;possibly killed by other bears shed collar shot dead 7/83 active shed collar 1982 missing **9/82 shed collar 8/83 .active active' not reco11ared (infected neck), active " shed collar 9/80 active 1 I J i ,..·~·l ~}1 1 J 1 1 ')1 ~~1 1 1 ]I Table 52.(continued)I SMILO' SM-l Yr.Initial Bear ID capture (age)1982 1983 CODDents Males (downstream) 408 1983(3)~0 active 365 1982(5)0 0 dead 9/83 366 1982(6)1 -shot 8/82 Total Males 1 Females (downstream) 369 1982 (3)Q 0 active 367 19~2(4)0 0 shot ("DLPII) 377 1982(4)2 3 active 409 1983(5)-0 active 376 1982(6)2yl 4*3 active.... ~378 1982(6)0 0*1 active 00 410 1983(7)-0 shot (IIDLPI I 7183) 374 1982 (7)0 0*3 shot 9/83 370 1982(7)0 0*2 missing** 411 1983(8)~2y2 active 375 .1982(9)5 4litl active 372 1982(9)0 0*2 missing** 402 1983(10)-2y3 active 404 1983(11)~2*1 active 406 1983(11)-.0*2 active 405 1983 (17)0*ii1 active Total females (downstream)9 17 Total both sexes (downstream)10 17 .....POSSlbHf~unreportea hunter XUI,collar fallure,or emigration..'. Reprod.status:*=cub of year y ;::yrlg. 'I 1 I 1 1 j 1 1 '"i --I C::MTL07..,J:l Table 53.Characteristics of black bear'dens in the Susitna study area during winters of 1980/1981,1981/1982,1982/1983,1983/84. E1eva- Den Bear Age at tion Slope Aspect No.ID No.Exit (feet)(Degrees)(True N)Vegetation ,Canopy DnRAHCE ' Tree 'Ht.Width Coverage (CJD.)(CIlI.) CHAMBER "Totl1 Previouslytn.Width Ht.J,engtb Used? (CJD.)(CIll.)(CII.)(cm)(YeslNo)A 8 C NATURAL CAVITIES .,,---- 'FEMALfS w/offspring (at exit) w/2 cubs 8 8321 11 2825 42 208 Alder 0 79 26 127 68 71 610 Yes 2 No w**Alder,Bircb,Moss Alder,Birch,Spruce 85 1220 \>?.. w/2 Qlbs w/l@l w/2 @O w/1 @O w/3 @O w/3 @O 19 32 73 88 92 93 8328 8328 8327 8375 8374 8374 7 8 8 6, 7 7 1950 2075 2070 875 1825 1775 40 64 58 26 22 42 218 270 270 253 ,204 Alder Alder Alder,Willow Alder,Grass o 50 90 30 60 41 49 43 n 33 93 39 41 48 81 84 249 54 91 44 58 36 180 328 1220 117 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 4 3 4 2 1 No No Yes FEMALES w/o offspring (at exit) .... ~ \0 85 8377 6 2270 47 127 Alder,GraslS 10 33 ,?collar shed in den 6 8318 8325 7 12 1890 1490 41 30 361 178 8ircb 8ircb/alder/spruCe o 50 51 49 U 27 69 100 76 74 62 55 654 113 Yes Yes 3 2 No No 13*8304*11 18*B322*5 96'8346 7#8287 9###8324 10#8303 Alder,Birch,Spruce 40 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No -;No '- 2 3 1 4 3 3 5 3 5 ?* ?* No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 488 465 318 272 'fes 869·Yes 48 51 42 45 94 71 97 91 89 70 82 89 64 185 122 137 108 211 216 44 34 36 53 86 38 48 39 53 38 76 81 46 58 20 62 38 93 o 55 50 o 40 o o o 40 Alder,Tundra Cottonwood/wil10w/ bircb Alder Willow/alder/aspen Rock pile/tundra Alder/rock slide Spruce,Birch Alders 8irch,Spruce 8irch,Spruce 198 58 283 170 88 48 52 158 168 300 153 46 30 50 24 53 30 60 48 42 30 30 1875 3450 1700 2240 1690 4340 1840 2370 1900 2150 2200 5 7 8 11 5 3 11 6 8 B323 B343 B360 8359 8358 95 51 66 98 100 MALES (COntlnued on next page) 1 1 "-1 .-.-1 -J ]1 I SMIL07 SM-1 Table 53.(continued) E1eva- Den Bear Age at t~on Slope Aspect No.10 No.Exit (feet)(Degrees)(True N)Vegetation ,Canopy DlTRANCE CHAMBER Total Previously Tree Ht.CWIDi'LIi.width Ot.Lengtb Used? Coverage (em.) (cm.)(em.)(CIlI.)(CII.)(em)(Yes/No)A 8 C UNKNOHN SEX 72 2370 30 168 Spruce,Bireb o 41 23 58 **89 1068 Yes 3 No DUG DENS FEMALES v/offspring (at exit) v/2 cubs 2 8301 ~ No No No Yes Yes Yes No Ye~ No No No No ... 3 1 3 5 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 No No No No No No No '? 'No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes .No 173 124 119 185 170 151 290 128 145 198 193 366 51 41 188 43'188 72 173 72 71 60 76 74 58 51 55 78 40 116 98 ... 122 160 119 114 107 130 206 147 91 92 127 93 8. 203 136 '-. 11. 1.2 119 76 117 84 97 142 93 95 163 76 43 72 41 42 59 56 58 38 43 79 69 38 43 66 74 69 49 39 27 24 22 28 46 43 27 38 30 36 30 38 33o 90 o 80 20 20 40 90 o 70 70 90 90 A1der/birch Alder,Fem Alder,Bircb Wil10vs,Alder Alder,Spruce Alder Alder,Birch,Spruce 90 Alder/Vi110~/spruee 70 Alder 0 Alder,Bircb Cottonvood,Spruce Alder,Spruce Birch Alder,Birch Alder Dwarf birch/mossl tundr, A1der/bireb 191 211 86 122 379 219 o 28 130 245 273 350 212 50 298 151 19 24 31 17 24 24 34 18 36 24 35 43 32 35 26 38 21 I 34 2065 2000 2050 2725 2000 2275 1975 1820 2400 3250 2300 1960 1750 1825 1225 1425 2375 4 8 10 12 6 6 9 8 10 10 6 10 8 8301 8318 8317 8301 8349 8361 8289 8370 8372 B378 B376 B354 .6 74 75 81 83 84 90 91 97 4#8289 11 8317 12 B318 21##8327 50 68 69 70 v/3 cubs v/2 y1gs vII y1g v/2 y1gs v/2 y1gs v/2 @O v/2 @O .....v/2 @O 11l °v/2 @O v/4 @O v/2 @O .,,/2 @O v/3 @O v/2 @O v/3 @O v/2 @1 FEMALES,v/o offspring (at exit) 34 B321 12 2125 80 B329 82 B367 Grass,Alder,Spruce ~5 43 55 58 67 B317 B349 B327 B369 9 5 7 5 3 5 2250 2650 1675 1410 1725 1960 22 8 21 26 21 31 30 184 153 207 321 78 28 323 Alder Dwarf Bircb Alder,Spruce 8ircb,Alder Alder Alder,Fem 10 o 10 70 90 80 29 32 39 35, 36 24 36 43 36 54 49 51 43 38 99 92 56 86 102 102 118 89 92 73 91 84 130 79 63 55 61 71 53 81 193 15'0 124 160 104 165 152 No No No No No No No 2 2 3 3 ·5 . '4 No No No Yes Yes (continued on next page) 1 1 o -.-,1 ---1 1 1 1 -,_0 I 1 Table 53.(continued)SMILC E1eva-,Canopy mTRANCE CHAMBER Total Previously SM-] Den Bear Age at tion Slope Aspect Tree.Rt.AIdth Lii.AidEli Ht~Length Used? No.ID No.Exit (feet)(Degrees)(True N).Vegetation Coverage (em.)(em.)(em.)(CIIl.)(em.)(em)(YeslNo)A B C ******99 B363 5 ~775 21 177 Alder 90 30 74 ...112 53 94 No 3 ...No MALES 20*B323*3 1950 46 176 A1derlbireb ----...--?*...-Yes 35 B304 1~1650 36 19 Bireb 25 53 147 100 173 ...660 Yes 2 No 38 B343 6 1200 39 313 Bireb,Alder,Spruce 60 35 6~-.........No ? 39 B348 10 1375 43 240 Bireb,Spruce 20 57 91 116 1n 183 530 Yes 1 57 B302 10 2025 41 236 Spruce,Bireb 40 -55 ·-63 ---94-------138-·----·101--··---188-----··.Yes---··.--·2···.-'·--",,--··---Yes 71 B365 6 ,900**10**...Alder;Bireb,Spruce -SPECIFS UNKNOWN 3 ...-2340 35 (254)Dwarf birch 0 50 54 --...170 No ......No UNKNOHN CAVITY TYPE MALlS 40 B324 7.1400**......--- - ...-...... ...-...? ~49 B323 4 1875**U 204**Spruce,Bireb .........-...-............? \J1 ~51 B346 10 2370**30 168**Spruce,Bire~0 38 53 -...48 -Yes --No 62 B319 4 1600**60**90**Spruce,Alder FEMALES 6S B329 1 1900**45**0**----- 63 B290 9 1850**15**45** 64 B290 9 1700**15**0**-------- - '- UNKNOWN SEX 61 ? ?2400 35**163**Spruce,Alder,Bireb 80 --...--_.No 4 ...No *Actual den sUe not found or too difficult to enter.,I Used by the same bear two consecutIve wInters **Approximate value II Used by tbe offspring during natal winter and subsequent winter A Subjective characterization of quality,1 =highest and 5 =lowest.iii Used by different radio-collared bear during subsequent winter B Ni11 be flooded by Devi1 1 s Canyon impoundment? C Hill be flooded by Natana impoundment?Dens No.8,19,6,7,9 10, 13,18,2,4,11,12,21,20,62,63,64 used during winter of 1980/1981. Dens No.32,33,50,34,43,55,58,35, 38,39,57,40,49,51,61, 65,7,9,10,4,21,used during Winter of 1981/1982. Dens No.73,88,92,93,85,51,66,95,96,98,100,72,68, 69,70, 74,75,81, 83,84,90,91,97,67,80, 82,99,71,10,7,9, 19 used during winter 198211983. ... )1 1 1 1 J J ..j J 1 )·1 ~JAr.Ll HC-9 Table 54.History of use of indiv1dual black beer dens by rad10-marked black bears,1980/81 -1983/84 (blanks1nd1cate no data. available,den not rev1sited and no ra410-marked bear there). ***Den No.Den Tyf~Flooded Location 80/81 81/82 82/83 83/84 2 Dug Yes W ~30l female w/2@O Vacant Vacant 4 Dug .Yes W 8289 female w/3@0 8289 female w/2@1 Vacant 6 Nat No D 8325 female w/o 7 Nat No D B287 male 8287 male 8321 female w/o 8 Nat No D 8321 female w/2@O 9**Nat "0 D 8324 male B325 felll(lle wlo 8324 male B324 male 10 Nat No D B303 male 8303 male B303 male 11 Dug "0 D 8317 female.w/2@1 12 Dug No D B318 'female w/l@l Collapsed----------------------------- (B330 ule) 13 Nat No D 8304 male 18 Nat Yes W 8322 male 19 Nat No D 8328 female w/2@O 8379 female w/3@0 ....20 -Yes W 8323 male 11I 21 Dug Yes W 8327 female w/2@1(B329,F)8329 female '1110 CollapsedN 32 Nat No D B328 female w/l@1 Vacant 33 Nat No D B3l8 female w/o 34 Dug No D B32l female '1110 35 Dug No D 8304 male Vacant 38 Dug No DS B343 male 39 Dug No DS 8348 male Vacant I 40 -Yes D 8324 male 43 Dug No D B317 female '1110 49 -Yes W B323 male 51*Nat No W 8346 male 8323 male B346 male 50 Dug No W B30l female '1112@1 Vacant 55 Dug No W 8349 female vlo 57 Dug Yes H B302 male Va.cant 58 Dug Yes H 8327 female w/o Vacant 61 Dug No H -Unmarked 8KB 62 -No D B319 male 63 -No D B390 female w/o 64 -No D 8390 female w/o 65 -Yes W 8329 female wlo 66 Nat No D B343 male 67 Dug No DS 8369 female wlo 68 Dug No D 8318 female w/2@0 ....'. 69 Dug No D B3l7 female w/2@0 70 Dug No H B30l female w/2@0 71 Dug No DS B365 male 1 '1 1 1 -'-1 --'.-------I -1 i 1 MCALLI Table 54.(Continued)MC-9 "'...Den No.Den !ype Flooded Location 80/81 81/82 82/83 83/84 72 Nat No N 1Jnmorked BIB 73 Nat Yes W B327 fem",le w/2@0 74 Dug No W B349 female w/2@O 75 Dug No N 8361 female w/4@O 8D Dug Yes N .8329 female w/o 81 Dug Yes N 8389'female w/2@0 82 Dug No DS 8367 female w/o 83 Dug No DS 8370 female w/2@0 84 Dug No DS 8372 female w/3@O 85 Nat No DS 8377 female w/o 88 Nat No DS 8375 female w/2@O 8375 female wI? 90 Dug No DS 8378 female w/2@0 91 Dug No DS 8376 female w/3@O 92 Nat No DS 8374 female w/3@0 B404 female wI? 93 spring Nat No DS 8374 female w/3@O 95 Nat Yes N 8360 male I-'96 Nat Yes N 8346 maleU1 W 97 Dug No N ,8354 female w/l@l 98 Nat Yes N 8359 male 99 Dug No N 8363 female wlo 100 Nat No N 8358 male *,**Attempted initial denning location for 8323,B346,&8360 in 1982/1983.B346 &8360 subsequently lDOved. ***Attempted denning location for 8324 &8325 in 1981/1982.8324 subsequently moved. N=Natana,D=Devils Canyon,DS=Downstream of 1lDpoundment zone. SUMMARY OF TABLE: 60 Dens identified to date tbrougbout entire study area (reused dens not counted more tban once). 31(51.7\)dug dens,22(36.7\)natural cavity dens,7(11.6')Unknown cavity type. Natana dens (N=26)DevUs Canyon dens (N=21)Downstream dens (N=13) Dug 15(57.7\)Dug 7(33.3')Dug 9(69.2\) Natural 8(30.8\)Natural 10(47.6\)Natural 4 (30.8\) Unknown 3(11.5\)Unknown 4 (19.1\)Unknown 0(0.0\) Flooded 15(57.7\)Flooded 1 (4.8\)Flooded 0(0.0\) Not flooded 11(42.3\)Not flooded 20(95.2\)Not flooded 13(100.0\) -OJ -.--1 J 1 1 HCALLI HC-10 Table 55.History of den use llY individual radio-marked black bears,1980/81 -1983/84. Cavity **"Cavity **Cavity **Cavity type Dent ..~.._Assoc ."ty~~I Assoc 'ly~_H nenl Ass(lQ TypeBearNoSex 1980/81 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84* Denl **As soc Dea4-----~--------·--~---~-~~~·-------~----------·---------~~-------.------------------ Shed ,Dead--------------------------------------------.------.------------------------ Released----~------------·~~------~---~---------~--------------------------------~----- She4~-~----~---------------------------·------------~----.~---------------------------- Dead--------------------- Shed--.------------------ Sbed-------------~--~---- Dead--------------------- Nat 9 wlo Shed--------------------- Dead~-------------------­ Dead--------------------- "issing------------------ "issiDg------~~---------- Dead----------------7---- .Nat 8Q·wi? w/2@O w/2@0 w/2@O w/o. wlo WID ,7 70 'w/2@O 10 wlo 81 69 68 51 9 74 w/2@O 97 w/1@1 100 wlo 98 WID 95 WID 75 w/4@0 99 WID 71 wID 82 wlo 67 wlo 83 N/2@0 84 w/3@0 92 w/3@0 88 w/2@O Nat Nat Nat Nat Dead-----·---~------~-----------~-----~---------------- Dug Dug Dug Dug Nat 73 w/2@0 Dead--------------------- Shed-----------------------.-.------------------------- Dug 80 wlo Sbed--------------------~-------·---------------------- Nat 66 WID' Nat 96 wlo ~at 51 wlo Dead----------------------------~~-.------------------- Sbed------------------~-----·-------~-------~---------- Dug Dug Nat Nat Nat Dug Dug Dug Dug Dug Dug Dug Nat Nat WID w/2@l wlo wlo wlo wlo wlo w/l@l wlo w/2@1 wlo WID wID wlo 7 4 34 38 51 39 SS 10 WID 35 wlo 013 wlo 33 'wlo 50 49 40 9 58 32 65,21 Nat Dug Dug Dug Nat Dug Dug Nat Dug Nat Dug Nat Dug Dead-------------------------------------------------------------------------~--------- Dug Nat Dug Dug. Nat 7 \WID Dug 4 w/3@Q 63,64 wlo Dug 2 w/2@O Dug 57 wlo Nat 10 wlo Nat 13 wlo Dug 11 w/2@l Dug 12 w/1@1 62 wlo Nat 8 w/2@0 . Nat 18 wlo 20 wlo Nat 9 wlo Nat 6 wlo Dug 21 w/2@l Nat 19 w/2@0 Dug 21 wlmam ,sibling Dug 12 wlo H F F F H "H F F "F "H "F F F F H "H "F F "H H F F H F F F F F F 287 289 290 301 302 303 304 317 318 al9 321 322 323 324 325 327 328 329 330 343 346 348 349 354 358 359 360 361 363 365 367 369 370 372 374 375 ra lJ1.po (continued) 1 j 1 1 "1-"]")1 J ~~I 1 ., Dead-----.--------------- De~--------------------- Cavity **Cavity **Cavity **Cavity Type Dent Assoc -----'!'l'P~L ~Dent ~~~g __~~_..~nt Assoc Type Table 55.(Continued) Bear Ho.Sex 376 F 377 F 378 F 379 F 387 M 401 M 402 F 404 F 405 F 406 F....408 MU1 U1 409 F 410 F 411 F 1980/81 1981/82 Dug Hat Du9 Hat 1983/83 91 85 90 19 W/3@0 w/o w/2@O w/3@O Hat 1983/84* Dent 92 Il:ALLI He-10 **Assoc wI? *most 83/84 Data are unavailable **Associations are at time of emergence ,, MCALLI 1 "1 1 1 1 ---1 ---1 j -J 1 1 1 --1 ..].7 Table 56.Den entrance and emergence dates of rodio-co11ared black bears for the winter of 1982-83 ("S"is the stondard deviaUon,but it includes variability frOlll the fluctuoUng Ume between observoUoDS,8l!l well as varla.biUty in denning UlIles). 1982 Entrance 1983 Emergence Days in Den Bear ID ~~!!!!:.~!!!!:.!!!!..:.~Min.!!!!:.~ 289 F 28 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 10 May 15 May 13 Hay 216 230 223 303 F 29 Sep 20 Oct 10 Oct 4 May 10 May 7 May 196 223 210 317 F 20 Sep 29 Sep 24 Sep 10 May 23 May 17 May 223 245 234 318 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 10 May 23 May 17 Hoy 207 229 218 321 F 20 Sep 29 Sep 24 Sep 10 tlay 15 Hoy 13 Hoy 223 237 230 323 M 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25 Apr 4 Hoy 30 Apr 192 ·210 201 324 M 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 201 217 209 327 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 4 May 10 Hoy .7 Hoy 201 216 209 329 F 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 25 Apr •4 Hoy 30 Apr 201 217 209 343 M 6 Oct 20 Oct 13 Oct 4 Hoy .10 May 7 Hay 196 216 206 346 H.6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 192 210 201 349 F 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 10 Hoy 18 Hoy 14 May 216,231 224 ~,\:354 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 10 Hoy 23 May 17 Hay 207 229 218VIIi 0\.,f.357 H 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct (BEAR lCILLm DURING HINTER) 358 M 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 4 Hoy 10 May 7 May 210 223 217 359 H 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 4 May 10 May 7 Hoy 201 216 209 360 H 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25 Apr 4 Moy 30 Apr 192 210 201 361 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 10 May 23 May 17 May 207 229 218 363 F 6 oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 192 210 201 365 H 6 Oct 20 Oct 13 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 187 210 199 367 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 10 May 19 May 15 Hay 207 225 216 369 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 192 210 201 370 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 4 Hoy 10 May 7 Hay 201 216 209 372 F 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 10 May l~May 15 May 216 232 224 375 F 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 25 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 201 217 209. 376 F 6 Oct 15 Oct 10 Oct 25.Apr .-.~~Y ...._..~Q~P!_.._..._.....__..__.._...}~~...\.....~.~<:l ...........~<:l!...-... 377 F 29 Sep 6 Oct 2 Oct 4 May 10 Hoy 7 May 210 223 217 378 F 20 Sep 29 Sep 24 Sep 4 May 10 May 7 May 217 232 225 379 F N.D.N.D.N.D.4 May 10 May 7 May 301 F N.D.N.D.N.D.4 May 10 May 7 May 374 F N.D.N.D.N.D.10 May 19 May 15 May ------.-- MEAN 2 Oct 11 Oct 6 Oct 3 May 11 May 7 May 204 221 213.. l'S"5 6 6 6 7 6 10 10·.10 n 28 28 28 30 30 30 27 27",27 ---'I"1 I 1 c--l ~---I --1 -1 )Jj SMILll SM-15 Table 57.Black bear den entrance and emergence dates,vinterof 1983/84. 1983 Entrance 1984 Emergence Days in Den Bear 10 Sex Min.!!!!:.!!M:.!m:.!!!!:.Mid.~!!2:.~ G289 F 5 Oct ;;14 Oct 10 Oct G317 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G321 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G324 M 15 Sep 27 Sep 21 Sep G329 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G343 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct ( G346 M 16 Sep 27 Sep 22 Sep G354 F 27 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G358 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G359 M 5 Oct 24 Oct,15 Oct G360 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct ~G361 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct l,n G363 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct ~:G369 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G375 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G376 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G377 F 15 Sep 26Sep 21 Sep G378 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G387 M 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G401 M 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct ., G402 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G404 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct G405 F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct G406 F 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G408 M 5 Oct 25 Oct 15 Oct G409 F 26 Sep 5 Oct 1 Oct GUI F 5 Oct 24 Oct 15 Oct -Hean 2 Oct 16 Oct 8 Oct "S"6.6 .10.6 8.3 n 27 27 27 ...' ~ " J !-J -]-)1 J 1 j ] C!c, \ l '~L ,J 'j. \] (~ (!) t ... (!) I-,. "i- r tCi -I- +~ j• .~ ""t L ""-'......--A1.:.'--../-""_....1J-CiA~-'T '.",t ......."'-----/'t-(=:"~(!)(!)j . •.&it ".,r' ..,."'(!)~ •>f""".~'.r ~'.A~./~~' ....\J ....\ ow ""~ + ++A (!)SUS It na RI v.a r, o ...r (!)u.n specified IOC\!.Q..Q ----+(!)A ~_l~_/.., 0') .(/\. / .. 'r 0 ~.f!) + + + •:j~.,/+ + ... ++0 o~~ :A t % ....,~-,__J++°ITalkeetna Rl ...er·,. o 4t.unspecified location+~. J I ) 't~ ( +male (!)f~male 6sex unknown 1 cm =9500 m ~\.. \ ..... U1 (Xl Figure 1.Approximate kill location.of 351 brown ~e.,.reported killed by -hllnter.In the period 1881-1882 In the Su.ltna .Study Area. ---]J --1 J '---1 J J ~-j •----I '----j cJ '1 ] .. i ~--\ ./ /' ./ // all// , )' J. r '/ ~I,.~.~ ,1f Dre-l>eparatlon <!l 0388 p.ost-~eparatlon+6389 {male post-separation X 6390 (male post-separation \'>1983-64 don lor G390 l.1983-84 den for G388 1 em =5200 m j ( -\ ....-../...--.-_./-_..-./""---_.- ) j..,-\"- ,-, "-:7 ( post-separation dispersed male 388 'I.<_ ...'-..... " \ { / \ \".\.:t/r / ( \ \ \ "'-"\ \ -',..~",I i.\. "--"" ", \, J \" \"\\\(\\'tr /'7; ]',r' Icc.~''''''"'".""'"", , "-"\.:'~:;:./\:,i \_'~\\I"LM':\"I.~4t,(,"",'".1,'"};.., / J rj \ 1'1(.- r- i / / I nondlaperalng ",.Ie 380 poat-aeparatlon \. I j f / \. mothor j '4ft - J (/.ly~r ('f £.. ../.~ J '.\h-"~~~::'::.~:'~~_,.__._/'l"~:'".....:..,-.I( '-J'--)Ie;:)(",,>:, /'''1 /,'J ( I( \ ,.) ./..)(2 /.., ('"' l-' V1 \0 Figure 2.1983 home ,angee of female 0388 and 2-yesr-old male offspring 0389 and G380. I J J r,--_J 1 I ]I ]-J 1 -J -]I -j 'J ~p.re-separatlon •G384post-separatlon Ii.1983-84 de~for G364+G391 !male post-separation '/..G392 male ost-separatlon I"~G393 female~post-separation 111"-~1983-64 dens for G391 &G392 1 em =5200 m , \ , ;. l., \ It .[ .r j , J J \f'_.'-";, j I "..-.:;.r-...'._".~~.- ( ) 'f ~"~~~./ :<~/ v· ~., +f'. •'!JJ<or-~'.J )( r·f ""--/ r' /' ,J_C _", \./"\... --J poet-••paratlon ~ nondlep.,.lng f.mal •."3 .,~ 'i;::-;., poet-e.paratlon ..~dleper..d mal••382 and 381 ) '.., ,....,.\1 / i ); ,.' /''---'''''-'' (' .~ (' "( I' I / ./ ) /;¥- '1/'-.v\1...r\--.l'(,~.',/C./'( . .J ,I "')r ,I,,_~_{_\,~:::::"c:;;:_,·l,,-.;::<?~\.-'~tJ /) Y ".I '1"- ,'f I \''.Jtt~,." .'mother ~"...-.'-;'-;:.:"'~ ~'---" \ \ ) ( l t, \...... 0'1 o Figure 3.1883 home rang.e of femal.G384 and 2-year-old offspring G381 and G382 (male a>and G383 (fema'e). J t I ').-1 j ...-)I -]1 t 'I -'J .,...'.---1 1 ~> r··. ( ) *§re-:eparatlonIII31post-separation+38post-separa tlon .t.~982-83 den site for G3121983-84 den site not found) 6 983-84 den site for G386 ..em =5200 m J ....'. / J"••-__.•,-~f ._J'-r---~ ).1'''/ ,i ",/, ,, "·..l,.'\.rvl ~."-, .,,"; I \ ) ////_'_../-r-I~~/ (//"/,j /",:' ~"•.,>'..--\.._.~.. ".:\ '~~ ,\ + .\ ····.."L fT'/j,/ v' :'dlaperaed mal. ) t i'-, I "'..,,[,'t _,_ ,.'\--._~._-,.~~/~/..-''' ......."....'-..-._.._,---_._/,/~'---" + > '.'- ..,-' ....,'.. ...\~.. ,':( ~J ...............~-....\ \ '" ~('"~I ;"} t> I r) () ( l ~-..",,'. ,..' I. lK l!l f!) ~-~'''~''',,\,~~:'l" ......\..,\l ,"'"~y~r"'-, '''.".--. l!l ) \.1 h1:f.~.;\_'U f\??/r-c.f .,-'j . /..,..,/.J ..sL-1.....__/_....~'.[..."" ,;C .•..='---,~""".,-~.~cv~""'_'_'_,"'I',.,"'~,,>~.)',,< ....".-',j'.1;·,,,.-..,''', r, -( j j __',,••T /W \ ...... m ...... Figure 4.1983 hO'iO r.nge.of femal.B312 and 2-y••r-old mal.offaprlng B386. -1 -1 i .....]J 1 1 ~--l -1 ~"'J 1 ) ) :(. ,r ) I-' 0\ tv ,. " " ~~t J l. <, \------ I, I Included:" FEMALES (-) #283-1980,82,83 #308-1980 #315-1983 ,.#380-1982,83.#394-1983 #396-1983 #407-.1983 )MALES J- #279-1983 #282-19828'3 #293-1980;81.82 #294-1980,81 #399-1983 1cm =5800 m ~i., 1" ~ Figure 6.Annual home range.of bears documonted as using Prairie Cre.k .almon runs.Area Incorporated for 7 female.=2,184 sq.km,for «5 male.=7,218 Sq.km,.for both ,exe.=7,884 .q.km. .!....••e-: '010.: '0 0 co!• ~e o¥ )io .aci-"..!.. QGI :Ito ~. o II ••r- C .. ....0 •c...~. 0-Q; O. 0-..---: ·=... e •.:IE--- co Q )io-o.G. ~ C :I., '0 C• )io•:IE E Q C0 0 r-eo :I to '0Q;j II •~Q;j r-E ~E •Q;j E u ~ .0E)+c•0r- oO "•r-•--0 -(0 "t 0-'0•......•..c-0 Q. .... to-- Q <:).. ._~---..-- j/ €)1/ ~I,!E) e ~;; ';l ~..; '{"J f I .:~ -/.1 ~-J ", \.~ ';l< II "--...:.. --_..---~ "-" ..... l"'" ! I""" I ~---------- 163 1 ]I -1 1 .....•-]J J J 1 J \. / --female -male 1 em =6800 m .\/, I,J I) ••••••••••••e •••••e e· e,'e e I, •!•..n,';'\•• \I(• (,""-"._.", !''',.'-..•.".,c,_""~•.,-~""~:...",.~. ~...~f'>.,<;.~~:;c,::~)1••!••• .F' I.' ••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • e ••• • • • •••••••• /,. " ~. I",.f',,,1~J...:',"::-~'~~/-~:;j .'~, ,. ••••••• ,J ..,,[ ..... 0'> .po Figur.7.1883 home range.of 13 female (227 points)and 6 male (81 points)radio-collared brown beara. Inelualye polygon =8.688 sq.km.(Materna'females not Included.) - ._-.;'i '--.i--:-,1. ~€>• -----'"..t~+. '---1 >-'" • Co ~ . til It.. '"CD aI... Ioao (I.. .1- "+ +~ @S~*''. * r:r~ ;- .1-..."";', ..~(};''';';.'_'~ I; /1J-) ..~/.( ~::: ~/~ .r~-..-'2.~. \.'> .....'..,iL~'~-.... +t E)*:~-~E).-.-~ €>.+-~€>~~ ~ €>- -I """, -o c o..•Uo... + 165 -\., C'n II: C'n « II:w«CI:l Ew Qa:l 0'w 0Q.....CIlC?"'t II:COCOCOCOCO«10W......................III:O ....CIlC?..I II«CO CO COCO .0 E..I C)C)C)C) ..I ................(,)00+)I(~Z€) (,):J ri --_..._-------- .=1 ...:..]~.---!-1 1 -1 J .,1 J J "\.. l,......-1. lC_ '\.- r 1 em =4800 m ~jJ'1 I ~I)/--,j !1ffi~--.--ti._,iO.5"~r--.'.i7..';'\'1'~ ( \ (•.,r--_..~ \.....---'--..:.._--. '--------~--\ ~'~~325 J Figure 8.Annual home range.In 1880 of adult female black b ••r •. -:;'1 :;".... ,.- E oo CD•II Eu , I I / I, ".--/ \rJ) / .•..•II r-oD oKiu•:0 .!•E•-....--C\I ';!C?'0•-0... II) G)... c ••CI C•.. •E 0 ~ •.....:II C C ~ 0... •.. :II CI ~... 10 ~ 1 --1 I 1 1 J \. \ ? '--\/~--..---,---._-~-.....-...... '"'--- -\ '\'-'-1 7l 1 em:::4eoo m -----_._--....._-...._-~---- 318 to' C1\ C) Flgur.11.Annual hom.rang••In 1"2 of adult female black b.an. -I J J J J ---1 1 1 ---1 J 'I 1 ,J r ....f'~(\S... ( 1.em =4800 m I~l '-\------ ...............-...... ~._-_.\ "---~ '--~'L "?cr..r ~-J ~ 0\ "" Figur.12.Annual hom.rang••In 1883 of adult f.mal.black b.ara. I .1 "1 ]J 'J J 01 1 J -J j ...... "-.Io 290~ .0J' / ''l '-.--.-r----....._ ---'-, \"~t ",,-.~ r 1 em =4800 m Figure 13.Sprlna home ranae.In 1881 of adult female black bea,..Den location.exciuded. 1--]}1 J ~-----]1 j ( "-\", \--~L (~, 1 em =4800 m \~~,c,__'-_~ 354 .~. ............. Flgur.14.Spring hom.rang ••In 1982 of .dult f.ma••black b ••r ••,Den locatlone .xclud.d. ~1 J 1 -1 ]J J -)J 1 [' --\.. \--~-l) C_. cm =4800 m ''--''~\ (', \. \. t..\.__/-.,...'" ...--......._._. ~~'" :J ~ "-J N Figure 15.Spring home range.In 1883 of adult female black beara..Den locatlona.excluded. 1 1-'-1 J -j J 'I J J J \, \\,,'" ./__.J' ,!l. r·---~~, '.".'\\ '"'.'~,,"',~{"- l''.dL!>..A>e,,'{~),:--~'0 >-f--- ~-_.---\ '-.~- ~ ~ .~'-.....\.\.------~~'- e. -~~ jI),!){;,,~1 ·c,/"'-( ,'.~""- ~~--t,;>'~~_~_~ \...• '"'£',-...................----,..,--- 1"1980-81 •1981-82 ,f,.1982-83 ~1983-84unmarked bear em =3700 m r ..... --.J f.J.J Figur.1•.'BI.ck .....r d.n .Ite•.up.tr••m study are•. ~·l -~.]J 1 ~~·l -1 J 1 ._.-.J 1 -1 --I 1 ~ f---··-J -/ Ji( ,I I ) ...-;Y I .............. Devil con.~:l; ...•, ......./ <!.~• •1981-82 A 1982-03o1983-84 (!)unmarked bear 1 om::2350 m <!. Indian 81"0' 6 ~ ~ <!. <.?> / .~./ :J / I-' -..J .po Figura 17.Black bear don o'teo,downatrallm otudy araa.