Spot a bear den? Tell the MDNR

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Image for Spot a bear den? shows a D.N.R. biologist in the woods kneeling in front of an opening in a snow mound, the entrance to a bear den. Another person stands behind him. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Den biologist. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks hunters and other outdoor recreationists to keep an eye open for black bear dens and report the location to the DNR to support bear management programs. Photo courtesy of MDNR.

From an MDNR news release

Be alert for black bear dens this winter and if one or more are sighted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks residents to report those locations to the agency.

“Finding winter den locations is an important component to managing black bear populations, and we need hunter, trapper and landowner assistance to add new den sites to the program in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula,” Mark Boersen, wildlife biologist at the DNR Roscommon Customer Service Center, said.

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He added that six bears are currently being monitored using radio tracking equipment on the ground and in aircraft.

According to the MDNR,  bears usually enter dens in November and December, depending on where in the state they’re located. Den locations offer shelter from the elements and vary widely. Some include areas with dense vegetation. Other sites include rock crevices, fallen trees or excavated holes.

A news release from the agency stated: “Bear dens may look like brush piles covered in snow or excavated holes in the ground, both having an icy opening to vent fresh air.”

Don’t approach a bear den

The MDNR offers the following suggestions to those spotting a bear den or dens.

If you’re in the vicinity of a potential den site, stay quiet and listen for any sounds coming from within. You may be able to hear cubs nursing or crying.

If you believe you have found a bear den, keep a safe distance away and avoid disturbing the den or the bears inside. Remember: It is illegal to disturb a bear’s den or a bear in its den.

Record the location, using GPS coordinates if possible, and report the information to one of the following DNR staffers:

It is wintertime as A young black bear lies on its side sedated on top of layers of protection from the snow beneath it with its eyes shielded and muzzle covered as a wildlife biologist kneels beside it taking measurements. Photo courtesy of the M.D.N.R.
A bear selected for the DNR’s ongoing bear management project will be sedated and fitted with a collar and ear tags, and biologists will collect data before carefully returning the bear to its den, where it will remain throughout the winter months. Photo courtesy of MDNR.

DNR biologists will determine if the denned animal is a candidate for joining the agency’s project. If it is, the bear will be sedated and its sex, weight, body measurements and reproductive history will be collected. A small tooth, which serves no function, will be removed to determine the bear’s age and also retrieve a DNA sample. The bear will receive ear tags and be fitted with a collar before being returned to its den.  See a short video of this bear examination process.

Learn more about bear management in Michigan at Michigan.gov/Bear.

Read Freshwater Reporter contributing writer Jennifer Devine’s story about the wake-sleep cycle of black bears HERE.

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