Wisconsin Center for Wildlife

​UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources Funded $1 million for Black Bear Project​

The WCW is happy to announce the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point has received a $1 million endowment in 2023​​ to ensure the continuation of the work and support the development of conservation professionals committed to black bear research. 

​Funding comes from three sources:

• The Stephens Family Foundation Wisconsin Black Bear Research Project Endowment: The Stephens Family Foundation is a staunch supporter of conservation and the UWSP College of Natural Resources. These funds will support all operations and needs of the college's black bear research and education.   ​ 
• The Searle-Dew-Thomas Boone and Crockett Wisconsin Black Bear Fellowship Endowment: This endowment will support a research fellowship program, providing undergraduate and graduate student opportunities in cutting-edge black bear research.​​
• The Safari Club International Wisconsin Black Bear Research Fellowship Endowment: Multiple Wisconsin chapters of Safari Club International — including ​​​the Badgerland Chapter, Bowhunters Chapter, Illinois/Chicago Chapter and Northeast Wisconsin Chapter – have come together to secure funding in support of UW-Stevens Point's black bear research and education initiatives. These contributions will significantly enhance the university's ability to protect and conserve Wisconsin's black bear population.​​
  

​​​​​​Graduate Students & Fellows​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​	Jacob Bergstrand Boone and Crockett Graduate Research Fellow​	​	Cece Giesen Safari Club International Undergraduate Research Fellow​	​
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​	​Jacob's graduate research focuses on agricultural producer perceptions of wildlife damage and abatement programs in Wisconsin. Jacob is collecting his data through online surveys, phone interviews, and focus groups. With the research he collects it will provide benefit to farmers and wildlife managers in multiple ways. Suggested improvements will be gathered for the Wisconsin Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program, wildlife agriculture damage concerns can be used for policy change, and lastly a better understanding of wildlife damage perceptions and abatement programs will be obtained to help wildlife managers not only in Wisconsin but throughout the country. ​	​	Cece is looking through the Wisconsin Black Bear Project data from 1989-2023 and gathering information on bear reproductive parameters and morphological measurements. Results will be converted into a paper to ​​publish. ​	​

Projects and Activities

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​The longest running portion of the Wisconsin Black Bear Research Project involves locating black bear dens during hibernation, collaring female bears, counting cubs or yearlings in the den, and monitoring them to track survival of the cubs. ​	​ ​Cady Sartini teaches the Black Bear Ecology and Management course at UW-Stevens Point. This semester long course includes a required weekend workshop where students become trained on field techniques critical for researching and working with wild black bears. Students learn about chemical immobilization of bears, how to locate dens, how to conduct den site visits, how to collar and collect data.
The Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society at UW-Stevens Point participates in a project investigating the post-release movements and survival of black bear yearlings that were orphaned, raised in a wildlife rehabilitation center, and released. With Cady Sartini's guidance and supervision, students collared and released orphaned and rehabilitated black bear yearlings and track their movements with radio-telemetry.

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​​Report a Bear Den Her​e!​​​

Wisconsin Black Bear Project History

 

This seminar is a part of a seven-seminar series titled "The Science and Culture of Black Bears: Human Perspectives on a Large Carnivore." All seminar recordings are available to view here​.

Learn how to live safely and responsibly​​ with black bears. 

BearWise is a nation-wide organization dedicated to helping people live responsibly with black bears. Wisconsin is a member state of BearWise.

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