WISCONSIN BLACK BEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019–2029 Wisconsin DNR Bear Advisory Committee Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Cover: Chris Sarno ILE DNR F WISCONSIN BLACK BEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019–2029 Wisconsin DNR Bear Advisory Committee Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Wildlife Management P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707 March 2019 Wisconsin Black Bear Management Plan, 2019–2029 Prepared by the Wisconsin DNR Bear Advisory Committee Committee members represent the following agencies and organizations: - Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission - Safari Club International - United States Forest Service - USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services - Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association - Wisconsin Bowhunters Association - Wisconsin Conservation Congress - Wisconsin County Forest Association - Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation - Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition - Wisconsin Wildlife Federation - Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Customer & Outreach Services - Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement - Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management - Wisconsin DNR Office of Applied Science With Approvals by the: - Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Management Leadership Team - Wisconsin Natural Resources Board Wisconsin DNR Mission Statement To protect and enhance our natural resources: our air, land and water; our wildlife, fish and forests and the ecosystems that sustain all life. To provide a healthy, sustainable environment and a full range of outdoor opportunities. To ensure the right of all people to use and enjoy these resources in their work and leisure. To work with people to understand each other’s views and to carry out the public will. And in this partnership consider the future and generations to follow. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY lack bears are perhaps the single wildlife species most emblematic of Wisconsin’s north woods, and they have distinct cultural, social, and economic value. Bears are of high Bcultural significance to Wisconsin’s Native American tribes, are an integral component of northern Wisconsin’s ecosystems, support strong and vibrant hunting traditions, and are popular among wildlife photographers, tourists, and residents who enjoy viewing wildlife. Public surveys have revealed that the majority of state residents feel that bears “deserve our appreciation” and “keep nature in balance,” are willing to live near bears, and believe that there should be as “as many bears as the habitat can support” on Wis- consin’s landscape60. However, bears also cause damage to agricultural crops and property, and occasionally pose a threat to human health and safety. Indeed, concern about bears posing a threat to children and pets was expressed by the majority of residents surveyed, and about one-third of residents in bear range have had experience with some type of bear damage60. The complex relationship between people and bears in Wisconsin has fostered a diverse array of public values and opinions regarding black bears and presents the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Wisconsin DNR) with significant chal- lenges regarding black bear management. The Wisconsin Black Bear Management Plan, 2019–2029, seeks to fully evaluate and address contemporary issues related to black bears and their management in the state. The state’s bear population has increased in number and expanded in range in recent decades, and issues related to bear hunting, population and harvest management, bear- human conflicts, and the need for public education need to be evaluated and addressed. In line with the mission of the Wisconsin DNR, the plan strives to both ensure a healthy and sustainable black bear population and support the use and enjoyment of the black bear resource by all Wisconsin residents. While science remains the basis of effective bear population management, public input and communication with important stakeholder groups were instrumental in ensuring the plan reflects the spectrum of biological, social, and cultural issues surrounding bear management in Wisconsin. The plan was developed by members of the Wisconsin DNR Bear Advisory Commit- tee, which includes Wisconsin DNR staff with various areas of expertise and representa- tives from 11 relevant stakeholder groups, each of whom brings valuable experience and insight to the discussion. The philosophy behind the planning process emphasized: Collaboration. Input from all committee members, stakeholders, and the public was encouraged and considered. Evaluation. The planning process emphasized the comprehensive evaluation of all contemporary issues considering existing information. Science-driven management. Goals and objectives defined in the plan will be supported by the best available ecological and social science. New opportunities. The plan identifies new field, quantitative, ecological, or social science techniques that may improve bear population management, and new communication tools to better educate and engage the public regarding the value of our shared black bear resource. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY While this document will serve to guide bear management decisions over the period 2019–2029, the information contained herein is also designed to provide the public a com- pletely transparent view of black bear ecology and management in Wisconsin. The plan’s first two sections include detailed summaries of black bear ecology and population dynam- ics and a historical account of black bears in Wisconsin. For interested citizens, the infor- mation contained in these sections should prove informative, enhance their appreciation for black bears, and help better engage them as partners in our ongoing efforts to manage black bears in the state. The third section, “Black Bear Management in Wisconsin, 2019–2029: A Plan for the Future,” identifies the overarching goal of the Wisconsin DNR black bear program and provides a set of objectives, strategies, and products designed to ensure the plan remains relevant and continues to direct and influence black bear management decisions over the next decade. The program goal for black bear management is to: Maintain a healthy and sustainable black bear population that fulfills the numerous ecological, social, and cultural benefits of bears while minimizing bear–human conflicts in order to promote and maintain a positive public image of black bears in Wisconsin. Five specific objectives were developed to focus efforts toward achieving this goal; these are listed below with general summaries of strategies and products that will foster timely and efficient implementation. Objective A: Ensure a Healthy and Sustainable Black Bear Population in Wisconsin (9 strategies and 22 products). Use population models to predict bear population trends and response to harvest and calibrate models with periodic population estimates. Maintain the mandatory registration and tooth submission requirements that provide important data for accu- rate population modeling. Eliminate numeric population goals and manage bear num- bers at cultural carrying capacity in zones A-E. Develop thresholds for metrics related to hunter satisfaction, crowding, and interference, agricultural damage, bear nuisance levels, hunter success, and bear health threats to guide population management decisions toward cultural carrying capacity within each bear management zone. Maintain the use of current harvest methods to manage black bear abundance, in part by increasing public understanding of these methods. Implement a new bear management zone structure that better aligns population management decisions with spatial variation in habitat quality and negative human–bear interactions. Develop and implement protocols for monitoring bear health. Develop guidelines for black bear habitat management and communicate to land managers. Objective B: Maintain High Levels of Hunter Satisfaction (2 strategies and 3 products). Annual review of the Bear Hunter Survey, evaluating trends in hunter satisfaction, crowding, and interference. Monitor and report the number of preference points required to draw a har- vest authorization within each bear management zone (“wait times”), and evaluate hunter understanding and acceptance of these wait times. Objective C: Address Human–Bear Conflict Issues (6 strategies and 17 products). Collect annual summaries of bear conflict data by resource type, year, and bear management zone, and work with USDA-Wildlife Services staff to integrate bear conflict data for all agricultural damage, property damage, and nuisance complaints into the Wisconsin DNR Wildlife iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Damage Abatement and Claims Program database. Appraise all crop damage caused by bears on farms enrolled in the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program. Emphasize current, and explore new, tools for addressing bear damage and nuisance issues. Assess effectiveness of current bear damage abatement tools and strive to address producer and public bear damage issues efficiently. Specific recommendations include allowing liquid scents to be used by hunters on bear agricultural damage shooting per- mits, expanding the use of trap monitors, proactive issuance of bear shooting permits, and development and implementation of bear conflict management plans for farms with chronic bear damage issues. Increase communication with the public and local law enforcement agencies regarding bear nuisance issues and the abatement options avail- able. Emphasize the “Wisconsin Black Bear Response Guidelines for DNR Staff” for addressing nuisance issues and incorporate a summary of the Grantsburg Project into the guidelines