Blackheart and her cubs chose the same kind of den this winter as last--a surface den with moderate shelter rather than a burrow that could be covered with insulating snow.  They made two similar dens.  The first den was a pile of bedding next to the partial remains of a big hollow log.  This was at the edge of a vast swamp in a popular deer hunting area, and we wondered if a hunter would inadvertently come upon them while following the swamp edge.  We checked at the end of deer season, and she had moved.

The new location, a half mile away, was on a slight rise in an alder swamp surrounded by steep hills.  This unusual, deep, bowl-shaped valley will protect the family from wind.  For even more shelter, the family raked ground litter from the surrounding alder swamp into a "room" created by the overhanging roots of a fallen tree.  They snuggled next to each other in the bed and settled in for the winter.  They are not in a deep hibernation sleep, though.  The family had a great year, food-wise, and has fat and energy to burn.  They do not have to fall into the deeper hibernation state of bears that have little fat.  They have the luxury of remaining in a lighter sleep, probably maintaining a higher body temperature, and being able to respond to stimuli around them.

On January 17, the bears looked up briefly as TV cameras focused on them from outside and inside the den.  They heard my familiar voice saying the usual "It's okay bears," and they tucked their noses back into the warmth of their fur to watch in comfort.  TV Anchorman Steve Long and Cameraman Jay Cole did an excellent job.  Instead of acting like they were in mortal danger near a bear that most people would think should come after them in defense of cubs and country, they let the public see how bears really are.  They included a message that people should not approach bear dens, but they also let the public see that bears are not as bad as we've been led to believe and do not always have to be shot in self defense.

In April, the water table in this steep valley will rise as meltwater drains from the surrounding hillsides.  Then the bears will probably move to the base of a big tree on higher ground.  Until then, we plan to let the bears get their beauty rest, disturbed only by moose, deer, and the squirrels that prance by.

A lot of people have asked if we plan to have a camera in a den like we did last year on Discovery.com.  Unfortunately, Blackheart is way out in the middle of nowhere and in a steep valley that would make a web cam difficult.   Instead, we put the camera in a beaver lodge and are getting the first-ever look at the mysteries of beavers, muskrats, mice, shrews, and mink interacting in the total darkness of the lodge as the camera converts it's infrared light to visible light for us.  Actually, the first view of a mink was just a few minutes ago while the beavers were out.  I have to admit it was a bit of a shock to see one of the muskrats, that I had earlier seen nicely grooming a beaver for beetles, being eaten.