Black Bear Research Ongoing in Durham!

The town of Durham will be the focus of a continuing black bear research project at
UNH, funded by the NH Fish and Game Department and USDA-Wildlife Services in
Concord. The major goal of this research is to learn more about the behavior and ecology
of suburban bears in southeastern New Hampshire. As many residents know, sightings
and interactions with black bears in Durham have become relatively common place in
recent years. Last year, many residents contributed valuable information about bear
locations and behavior in Durham (see map below), and at least 3 different bears were
photographed at bait sites in town (see photo below). A 2.5 year old male bear was
eventually captured on the Durham-Lee town line in September and fitted with ear tags
and radio-collar. Surprisingly, this bear roamed a 124 square mile range and was located
as far west as Candia.

Four important reasons for conducting this research are:

1) black bears will probably continue to increase in number in Durham and surrounding
communities as they successfully adapt to human-dominated landscapes,
2) little is known about the ecology of black bears reoccupying such areas long without
bear populations,
3) human-bear interactions and conflicts are inevitable in communities like Durham in
southeastern NH, and
4) community involvement offers a unique approach to monitoring nuisance bear activity,
educating the public on ways to minimize bear-human conflicts, and preventing bear
nuisance activity within a community.

Two primary approaches will be used to gather information.

Radio-telemetry

Up to 5 black bears will be captured in a large box trap or culvert trap during springsummer
2008. Each will be fitted with a radio-collar and colored and numbered ear tags
that allow researchers and residents to monitor their movements and location. These
radio-collared bears are essential to document seasonal home ranges, habitat use, denning
behavior, reproduction, nuisance behavior, and movement corridors. Captures will occur
on private land where landowners are willing to accommodate this research activity. A
suitable capture site would have a bear(s) visiting regularly, provide easy access for the
trap, and be somewhat isolated to avoid disturbance and public activity to maximize
public safety and reduce stress of captured bears. Professional state and federal biologists
with extensive experience in bear captures will oversee this activity. After capture,
researchers from UNH will document locations under a regular, day-night schedule that
involves using hand-held antennas and minimal disturbance.

On-line data collection

Residents of Durham can actively participate in this research by reporting bear sightings
in Durham, as well as bear visits, identification, and behavior on their property. Reports
will be submitted by completing a short “Black Bear Survey” located on the website of
the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, UNH (see directions below).
In addition to the valuable data each report will provide, the survey will also provide an
opportunity for willing participants to identify potential trapping sites. Each report will
provide invaluable information about bear behavior and human-bear interactions that
cannot be gathered from radio-marked bears alone.

A novel approach of this research is the active participation of the public. It is the hope
of UNH and the cooperating agencies that Durham residents contribute positively in these
efforts to better understand and manage suburban black bears in NH. This research is
directly related to the management concept stressed in NH:

“Something’s Bruin in New Hampshire: Learn to Live with Bears.”
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To Access the “Black Bear Survey”
1) Clicking the link below:

http://www.wildlife.unh.edu/

2) A small picture of a bear will appear in the left corner; click on “Black Bear Survey.”

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The principal contact at UNH is Pete Pekins, Wildlife Ecology Professor and resident of
Durham, who can be contacted at pete.pekins@unh.edu or 862-1017.

For further information about black bear management in NH go to:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Somethings_Bruin.htm

The toll-free bear information number at USDA-Wildlife Services is (888-749-2327).

Adult bear at bait site on
Horticultural Farm, UNH
campus, August 31, 2008.

Distribution of bear sightings in
Durham, summer 2008.