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The Return of the Black Bear to Eastern Kentucky: Conflict and Tolerance Between People and Wildlife

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The Return of the Black Bear to Eastern Kentucky: Conflict and Tolerance Between People and Wildlife University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE Hannah B. Harris University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Harris, Hannah B., "THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE" (2011). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 830. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/830 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Hannah B. Harris The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2011 THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky By Hannah B. Harris Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Michael J. Lacki, Professor of Forestry Lexington, Kentucky 2011 Copyright © Hannah B. Harris 2011 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE The black bear (Ursus americanus) has returned to Kentucky and is now part of a reproducing population in the southeastern Cumberland Mountain region. The broad objective of this project was to examine the interactions between people and bears, with the ultimate goal of improving bear management in a way that addresses stakeholder concerns. Using interviews of regional stakeholders, participant observation, and media reports collected between summer 2003 and fall 2006, I investigated how the presence of black bears in Harlan and Letcher counties in Kentucky has had an impact on area residents. I complemented this information with observations of bear behavior and an analysis of bear capture and handling data collected within the study period. Artificial provisioning of bears was widespread and >60% of black bears captured were confirmed to use anthropogenic foods at least some of the time. I found a significant difference (P<0.0001) in the apparent physical condition of confirmed anthropogenic feeding bears and bears whose feeding behavior was unknown, and similar differences in physical condition between bears captured along traplines in Harlan and Letcher counties when compared to bears captured along traplines in Bell County (P<0.01). Mean litter size was 3.25 ± 0.11 (SE), significantly above average for eastern North America (P<0.05) although cub survival remains unknown. All documented mortality of adult bears was human-caused. Anthropogenic food sources may affect bear behavior, survival, reproduction, and physiology, as well as bring bears into close contact with humans. Artificial provisioning is currently an important part of bear-human interaction in eastern Kentucky, both facilitating bear tourism as well as precipitating nuisance problems. Cessation of provisioning could have important consequences for the developing tourism industry in the region and for the bears themselves. Both the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and many local people have an interest in conserving bears, but problems have arisen due to differing conceptions of appropriate or desirable management. A better understanding of the human dynamics and cooperation taking place in this situation could provide much-needed information both in Kentucky and in other localities where stakeholders are debating how to co-exist with wildlife. KEYWORDS: Anthropogenic feeding, Black bear, Human dimensions, Nuisance conflict, Wildlife tourism Hannah Harris July 15, 2011 THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE By Hannah B. Harris Dr. Michael J. Lacki Director of Dissertation Dr. David L. Harmon Director of Graduate Studies July 15, 2011 RULES FOR THE USE OF DISSERTATIONS Unpublished dissertations submitted for the Doctor’s degree and deposited in the University of Kentucky Library are as a rule open for inspection, but are to be used only with due regard to the rights of the authors. Bibliographical references may be noted, but quotations or summaries of parts may be published only with the permission of the author, and with the usual scholarly acknowledgments. Extensive copying or publication of the dissertation in whole or in art also requires the consent of the Dean of the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky. A library that borrows this dissertation for use by its patrons is expected to secure the signature of each user. Name Date DISSERTATION Hannah B. Harris The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2011 THE RETURN OF THE BLACK BEAR TO EASTERN KENTUCKY: CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky By Hannah B. Harris Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Michael J. Lacki, Professor of Forestry Lexington, Kentucky 2011 Copyright © Hannah B. Harris 2011 DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to Harlan County Extension Agent Jeremy Williams in appreciation of his many contributions to this project. I thank him for sharing his love of wildlife, place, and community; for offering a wealth of information and support; and for making me an honorary cousin. I will always be grateful for both his help and his friendship. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Primary funding for this project was made possible by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. I thank all the many KDFWR staff members who participated both directly and indirectly in this effort, in particular Becky Littleton for her tireless work with the Black Bear Task Force and Jayson Plaxico for compiling the bear handling database. I would also like to convey my appreciation to the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Office and for their support of black bear-related outreach and education as well as this project. I am grateful to Rick Fuller, manager of Kingdom Come State Park, as well as the staff and the rangers there for their input and assistance, especially to Danny Quillen, for helping me out so many times and also for making this project much more fun than it would have been without him. I owe a similar debt of gratitude to the members of the Tri- City Chamber of Commerce, both past and present. Kim Collier and Suzie Williams of the Cumberland Tourism Commission were invaluable sources of information, insight, and assistance. I thank Mike Orlando for logistical support, for teaching me to ride a four-wheeler, and for sharing his incredible wealth of knowledge about bear trapping and behavior. Thanks also to Reis Collier and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park for allowing me to trap bears there and for being willing to explore new research techniques. I only wish I had been able to do more work in that fascinating and beautiful area. I am grateful to the many faculty members who were involved in this effort including first and foremost my original advisor Dave Maehr, who shared his deep commitment to carnivore conservation and who gave me the opportunity to work on this project in the first place. I thank my continuously evolving committee: Drs. Betsy Taylor, Keith Schillo, John Cox, Eric Vanzant and, in particular, Drs. Mary Arthur and Mike Lacki who were with me the whole way and who stepped up to help me complete this project iii when Dave tragically passed away. Many thanks also to outside examiner Dr. John van Willigen, as well as my ever-patient and kind DGS Dr. David Harmon. My family was a constant source of support, beginning with my parents who taught me to love nature and appreciate complexity. I thank my husband for his willingness to move to a state neither of us had ever even visited so I could pursue my degree and for his forbearance when everything became a bit more complicated than anticipated. I thank my two wonderful sons for their patience and humor, and most of all for reminding me constantly about what is really important. Finally, I am forever indebted to all the wonderful people who lent their voices to this dissertation by being willing to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences with black bears in Kentucky and their lives in the region. I am especially appreciative of the Bear Watchers for their enthusiasm and dedication. I learned so much, not only about people and bears, but also about Appalachia, history, life, and even myself. This project was long and not always easy but I will forever be thankful to the many people involved who made it possible, who made it interesting, and who made it wonderful. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................
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