"Be Bear Aware!" shouted a bright yellow handout that was among the dozen spread upon a table at the front of the lecture room. We were gathered for the May 12th NJ OWL meeting - mixing, mingling and catching up with friends from recent outings while waiting for Kelcey Burguess to give his presentation, "The Life & Times of New Jersey's Black Bears."

Kelcey is a Principle Wildlife Biologist and the leader of the Black Bear Project for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. He completed his Masters degree looking at the population genetics of New Jersey and Pennsylvania bears, and his seven-years of working with New Jersey bears has contributed to our current understanding of the state's population.

Kelcey gave some background information on bears in New Jersey: prior to 1970 black bears numbered fewer than 100, but were still considered vermin by some people. Research on New Jersey bears only began in 1980. In the ten years between 1980 and 1990, the bear population in New Jersey was considered manageable, meaning there were few conflicts between bears and people. But by 1999, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife received more than 2,068 phone calls related to issues with bears.

Kelcey explained that New Jersey's habitat has promoted the bear's population growth, and their range has expanded south and east since the 1980s. Current population estimates range from 2000 to 3200 animals, with there being roughly equal numbers of males and females. Based on statistics, about 1000 new cubs, which have a 70% survival rate, will enter the population this year - and bears can live more than 20 years! The division's research has shown that after a bear makes it to five-years of age, it will have a 99% survival rate.

Bears are highly adaptable, living in and among human development. Males, called boars, have a home range of up to 60 square miles. On the other hand, females, known as sows, with cubs range less than 2 square miles.

Black bears den for the winter in rock cavities, brush piles, open nests and hollow trees. Cubs are born in January (average litter size is 3, but can range from 1-5 cubs, though there have been public sightings of a sow with 6 cubs). Cubs travel with the sow until she breeds again, 16-18 months later. From a mere 16 ounces at birth they can grow up to 130 lbs. in just 9 months, though the average is 65lb. for males, and about 50 lbs. for females. As adults, males average 396 lbs., and adult females average 175 lbs. The record bear in NJ, killed illegally, was 625 lbs.

The handouts Kelcey brought announce "You Are in Bear Country," and "Black Bears Live in This Area of New Jersey." One NJ Fish & Wildlife brochure reminds us "Black bears are large, powerful wild animals and should be treated with respect." All of the handouts are part of the Division's campaign to educate the public about the nature of bears, because the more we understand about bears, the better chance we have of coexisting with them.

Research teams such as Kelcey's employ various trapping techniques to tag and radio-collar these hardy animals so individuals can be located more easily. This includes conducting "winter den work" where researchers actually enter dens to check on cubs and collect important data about the animals. The information gathered during this research ends up in educational brochures and presentations like the one we experienced tonight.

Remember that the mere presence of a black bear is not considered a problem. If you see a bear let the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife know. Kelcey advises to look for ear tags and radio-collars, cubs (and if present, how many) and to note if it has other distinguishing features (for example, a chest blaze).

Estimating the size of a bear is sometimes difficult, but Kelcey suggests doing a mental comparison with a dog. Is it as big as a shepherd or is it more like a St. Bernard? If you are experiencing nuisance or damage problems related to bears, contact the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Control Unit at 908-735-8793. To learn more about black bears visit www.njfishandwildlife.com.

by Colleen North