INTRODUCTION
Historically, black bears were found in all of Maryland’s counties. However, as settlers cleared the landscape for agriculture, industry, and timber production throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, most of Maryland’s suitable black bear habitat was lost. By the mid-20th century, black bears could only be found in the rugged mountainous areas in western Maryland. By the mid 1950s, only a few bears were estimated to remain in the state. In 1953, the black bear hunting season was closed due to concerns of a dwindling bear population. In 1972, the status of black bears was changed from ‘forest game animal’ to ‘endangered species’ in Maryland.
As habitat conditions improved with the maturation of second-growth forests, DNR began to receive increased reports of bear sighting and damage. Maryland’s bear population has been increasing since the early 1980s. As a result, in 1980, the black bear was moved from the ‘endangered’ species classification to that of ‘nongame species of special concern’. In 1985, the black bear’s status was once again changed to that of a ‘forest game animal’ with a closed hunting season.
Currently, Maryland has a breeding population of black bears in the 4 westernmost counties (Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick), with the highest bear densities found in Garrett and western Allegany Counties (approximately 880 mi2). Although evidence of a breeding population is confined to the western 4 counties, DNR receives several bear sightings and complaints in central and southern Maryland counties each year.
POPULATION MANAGEMENT
Maryland’s 1992 Black Bear Management Plan expired in December 2001. In preparation for the next ten-year management plan to be written, a Black Bear Task Force was convened by the secretary of DNR. The task force was comprised of twelve citizens representing different stakeholder groups with varying opinions on bear management. The task force was charged with reviewing DNR’s accomplishments under the 1992 management plan, identifying important public values to consider for future bear management, and providing recommendations to DNR on the future of black bear management in Maryland. The task force began its work in January 2002 and submitted their final recommendations to DNR in March 2003.
Since that time, DNR has written a draft 10-Year Black Bear Management Plan and received public comment on the draft plan. DNR is currently revising the draft plan, expecting to finalize the new management plan in early August 2004.
PROBLEM MANAGEMENT
In 1996, a formal nuisance response plan was implemented and has been periodically revised as we continue to learn the most effective ways to handle human-bear conflicts in Maryland. In 1997 a bear response team, consisting of Wildlife and Heritage Service employees, was created to address after hours human-bear conflicts in Garrett County. Response team personnel are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from April through November. The team can be contacted by DNR Communications Center personnel and local emergency management staff (911 center).
The response plan includes conflict mitigation strategies for any type of black bear nuisance call that DNR and other public agencies may receive. Education, technical assistance, nonlethal management strategies and lethal management are used to mitigate human/bear encounters in the nuisance response plan.
The Wildlife and Heritage Service holds a series of annual workshops for local public safety agencies (police & fire departments, 911 emergency management centers, animal control, USDA, etc.). At these workshops, the agencies are given guidance on how to handle nuisance bear calls. They are given copies of DNR’s Black Bear Nuisance Response Plan, informed about which situations should be considered emergency situations, and given guidance on how to contact the appropriate Wildlife and Heritage Service personnel to resolve nuisance situations.
In 1995, the Maryland Legislature passed legislation requiring DNR to implement a bear damage compensation fund. Money for the fund is raised through the sale of a black bear stamp and other related merchandise. The fund is then used to reimburse farmers for agricultural damage caused by black bears. Since 1996, damage claims have ranged from $10,000 to $50,300 each year. Dependent on the value of the claims and the money available in the fund, DNR has paid out between 12% and 70% of the claims each year. Stamp sales have been poor, never providing enough money to provide 100% compensation. It is believed by DNR and the Maryland Farm Bureau that agricultural damage caused by black bears is grossly under-reported due to farmers’ concerns of not receiving full compensation.
EDUCATION
In recent years, the Wildlife and Heritage Service has undertaken an aggressive Information and Education program revolving around the theme – “Maryland’s Bear Country – Learning to Live with Black Bears”. Components of this program include printed pamphlets, public presentations, standardized ‘canned’ slide shows, public workshops, and interviews with print, radio, and television media.
The Wildlife and Heritage Service has also created several black bear learning trunks to be loaned out to local schools, state parks, etc. In addition to the “Learning to Live with Black Bears” slide show and information, the trunks contain informative videos, natural history information (e.g. a bear hide, skull, track plate, etc.), lesson plans and activities for various age groups. The trunks have been very popular with local elementary and middle schools.
RESEARCH
Bear Scent Station Survey
Scent station survey routes are established across known portions of the black bear range in the 4 western counties and are repeated annually. This survey has been conducted in western Maryland since 1993. Each route consists of 4 or more bait stations located 0.5 miles apart. A bait station consists of bait (sardines in oil) hung from a tree. The survey routes are established in mid to late July and checked 8 days after establishment for black bear activity. Activity is defined as claw marks, bear scat, bear tracks, damaged bait cans or any other bear sign near the bait station. Visitation rates are then calculated and used to compare results between years.
When comparing all western Maryland survey routes that have been run at least 5 years, the overall visitation rate has increased from 3.1% in 1993 to 35.1% in 2003 (Fig. 1). The visitation rate of scent station routes conducted in Garrett County, Maryland’s core bear range, has increased from 3.9% in 1993 to 50.7% in 2003 (Fig. 2). The steadily increasing trend in bait station visits since 1993 indicates an increasing bear population in the area surveyed.
Figure1. Western Maryland Scent Station Survey Results of all routes conducted 5 years or more (1993-2003).
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Figure 2. Garrett County Scent Station Survey Results (1993 – 2003).
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Bear Mortality
The Wildlife and Heritage Service has been monitoring black bear mortalities in the state since 1981.
In 1981, there were two known bear mortalities in Maryland. In 2003, there were 57 known bear mortalities in Maryland (Table 1).
Table 1. Black Bear Mortality in Maryland 1995-2003.
Year
|
Illegal
|
Road Kill
|
Other
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
|
1995 |
4 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
16 |
|
1996 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
1997 |
3 |
13 |
1 |
3 |
20 |
|
1998 |
2 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
|
1999 |
3 |
23 |
2 |
2 |
30 |
|
2000 |
7 |
20 |
2 |
1 |
30 |
|
2001 |
4 |
30 |
3 |
4 |
41 |
|
2002 |
0 |
27 |
3 |
6 |
36 |
|
2003 |
10 |
38 |
3 |
6 |
57 |
Total
|
33 |
179 |
18 |
24 |
254 |
Reproductive Data
Through the use of radio telemetry equipment, the Wildlife and Heritage Service has been monitoring black bear reproduction since 1986.
Since then, the study has recorded 150 cubs born to 49 sows, for a long-term average of 3.1 cubs per sow. Currently, 12 sows are being
monitored. The average annual litter size has ranged between 2.5 and 3.5 cubs per sow. In 2003, 14 cubs (7f, 7m) were born to 4
different sows (2 litters of 3, 2 litters of 4).
Public Opinion Survey
In Spring 2004, DNR contracted with Responsive Management of Harrisonburg,
Virginia to conduct a statewide public opinion survey of Maryland residents’ attitudes
towards black bears and black bear management. Conducting a public opinion survey
had been strongly recommended by the 2002 Black Bear Task Force.
Responsive Management conducted the survey in June 2004, polling 831
Maryland residents regarding bear management in the state. Although the survey was
conducted statewide, respondents were grouped by region enabling a regional variation in
responses to be determined. The survey results often showed a regional difference in
response, suggesting that those people living in Maryland’s occupied bear range often
have opinions and attitudes regarding bears that vary from the rest of Maryland’s
citizenry.
Respondents were asked questions about their contacts and experiences with
black bears, attitudes toward black bears, strategies to avoid black bear nuisance
behavior, and their opinions of regulated black bear hunting and other lethal forms of
population management. Some mentionable results of the survey include:
- 90% of respondents agree that bears have an inherent right to live in Maryland.
- 84% of respondents agree that although they may never see a bear, they derive satisfaction in knowing that bears exist in Maryland.
- While 77% of respondents support having bears in Maryland, only 52% support having bears in their county. 58% oppose having bears within ˝ mile of their home.
- 98% of respondents have not had problems with bears in the past 2 years. However, in the western region (occupied bear range), 24% of the respondents have had problems with bears in the past 2 years.
- 92% of the respondents support the strategy of requiring people that visit or live in bear habitat to practice good sanitation practices and trash management. However, only 64% of the respondents favor requiring these people to use bear-proof trash and food containers, while 54% support prohibiting the use of birdfeeders and other wildlife feeding activities.
- 65% of respondents support regulated hunting as a way to manage black bear populations. In western Maryland, however, support for hunting extends to 78%.
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