Wintering Ecology of Black Bear
in Big Bend National Park
by Scott Mitchell, Raymond Skiles (Big Bend
National Park) and Louis A. Harveson
The black bear (Ursus americanus) population in Texas is
currently recolonizing various regions of the Trans-Pecos.
Black bears are being trapped in Big Bend National Park during a
joint study between Sul Ross State University and Oklahoma State
University. Bears are being trapped using barrel traps and selected
bears are being fitted with radio collared for monitoring.
This study will determine winter (Dec-Mar) ranges of all
collared bears via aerial and ground radio telemetry and also
determine seasonal variation in food habits.
Winter locations will be determined using standard triangulation
techniques and winter ranges will be determined using convex
polygon and adaptive kernel methods in CALHOME software. Den sites
will be identified and located and microhabitat characteristics
surrounding den sites will be quantified.
Data will be used from the existing Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) to assess the relationships of den locations to
geographic locations within the park. Denning activity will be
determined and den characteristics reported.
Food habits are also being determined through the collection and
analysis of scat. Fresh scat is being collected on designated roads
and trails within the park. These scat samples are being labeled
and frozen for seasonal food habit analysis.
Funding for this project provided by Biological Resources
Division of the National Parks Service, Sul Ross State University
and Oklahoma State University.
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Sul Ross State University
