The Wisconsin DNR is asking for resident’s help locating black bear dens again.
According to the DNR, the Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey will generate new estimates of black bear reproductive rates within each bear management zone and improve the accuracy of the population models used to manage them.
Additionally, researchers are investigating the connection between consumption of human food sources and bear reproduction since diet can affect cub survival rates and litter sizes.
If you find a den, the DNR encourages them to maintain a safe distance of 30 yards and report the GPS coordinates, photo, and description of the area to them.
DNR staff will work with den reporters and landowners to visit the den before deciding to survey it, determining if the den is safe, accessible and in use.
The bears will then get a GPS collar to help DNR staff collect data and see how the litter grows up. A link to report a den can be found online at surveymonkey.com.
