Denning activities?
September 17, 2010 – 11:20 PM CDT
NOTE: Lynn checked on the bear killed on Highway 169. He found it was an unknown male cub and not one of the research bears.
Today we radio-located Braveheart in a remote area to change the batteries on her GPS unit. She was bedded in a hazel thicket (picture). Nearby was a birch log that had been freshly ripped apart for grubs (picture). There was dirt on Braveheart’s nose—which sometimes indicates den-digging—but a check of the surrounding area did not confirm a den.
Lily’s GPS unit also needed a battery change. We found Lily and Hope bedded in a cedar swamp (pictures below). In order to work on the collar of a mother with a cub, it’s necessary to feed the cub as well—which we did. 
However, once again, Hope wanted all the nuts and backed Lily off. Hope finally settled in to feed on her own little pile of nuts. Lily came back and we successfully changed the batteries. Lily played briefly with Hope then curled up with her head tucked to her chest and went to sleep. Hope played idly nearby with alder branches. Lily has really slowed down and is spending many hours sleeping.
When we saw Juliet and her cubs today, her crown, ears, and right cheek were light brown with wet soil. It rained this morning. Was she digging a den in wet soil? The cubs were clean, showing they didn’t participate in digging. Time will tell.
June entered her den at 10:24 PM last night and we’re hopeful this den is her final choice. At some point she will come out to rake in fresh bedding. That could be a while though. In 2007, she spent a week in her den before raking any bedding into it.
Meanwhile, discussion continues on the Education Outreach Project, which could include a speaker’s bureau.
At the Bear Center, people were feasting on spaghetti, salad, rolls, Mediteranean treats, and a coconut cream pie. Thank you from everyone.
At the same time, the thermometers were going up to help debt reduction on bear.org and to help protect the research bears on bearstudy.org. Thank you again.
Tonight, we finished the letter to Commissioner Mark Holsten asking for a Commissioner’s order to protect radio-collared bears with ribbons in the area east of Highway 53 in Townships 60-64N in central St. Louis County. This would protect most of the radio-collared bears most of the time. We would hope the DNR would ask hunters not to shoot those that occasionally roam outside that area. Thanks for your continued help on that. Your very well written letters hopefully will make a difference. Like one of you said. We hope people are listening there.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center