A Winter's Den

A Winter's Den

I relearned something obvious, but it really has got me to thinking and especially rethinking how we do and can manage habitat for bears.

Black bears den in trees. Why did this hit me as such a revelation? I knew it but until I read it in two scientific papers I just didn't think about it.

My presumption was most Black bears denned in brush piles and especially in subterranean liars from upturned giant trees. Well, they do. And they den in trees.

I recall reading a story of a young bear that took up a winter residence in a well known eagle nest in Chippewa County. It ended up attracting too many gawkers and abandoned that site.

Of course bears den in trees too, tree cavities. But here's where I got locked into a paradigm bias. Because as a boy of the Midwest all our trees were after the big cut and giants with cavities that large were just few and far between. So, if I didn't see trees large enough to cavity den bears, then it must not happen. Uff, what a thing to admit.

Raccoons, owls, and Wood ducks all are cavity nesters. Tree climbing Black bears just need a hole their size. So...denning boxes for bears!

I maintain nesting structures for birds: wrens, Wood ducks, and Mallards. Though, the Mallards use a brushed up cylinder over water, not a cavity. All that is required is to change perspective and then a "nesting box" for bears is a logical extension.

Is anyone working on this?

An advantage to an artificial cavity den is that it would reduce disturbance from hikers and their dogs. Additionally, they could be fitted with scientific instrument to facilitate study.

Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.