University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1990 Black bears in the North Fork of the Flathead River Valley Montana Harry Carriles The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Carriles, Harry, "Black bears in the North Fork of the Flathead River Valley Montana" (1990). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7366. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7366 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mike and Maureen MANSFIELD LIBRARY Copying allowed as provided under provisions of the Fair Use Section of the U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW, 1976. Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author’s written consent. MUniversity ontana of BLACK BEARS IN THE NORTH FORK OF THE FLATHEAD RIVER VALLEY, MONTANA By Harry Carriles B.S., University of Montana, 1980 B.A., University of Montana, 1980 Presented in partial fullfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science University of Montana 1990 Approved by Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate School ./yC }> /' / V f / Date - UMI Number: EP38167 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI OissOTtation Pubtwhing UMI EP38167 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Carriles, Harry, M.S., June 1990 Wildlife Biology Black Bears in the North Fork of the Flathead River Valley, Montana (164 pp.) Director; Charles Jonkel* The home range, habitat use, food habits, and dens of black bears {Ursus americanus) were investigated using radio telemetry and observations of feeding bears. My study concentrated on two adult female bears and their cubs during 1980 and 1981. The results were to be compared with data collected on grizzly bears {U, arctos) in the same area. The ranges of two adult females overlapped during the berry-producing season in 1980. During 1981, an abundant food year, very little range overlap occurred. In 1981 both females had cubs, and their ranges were overlapped by several other collared females. The partial home ranges of the two adult males were larger, and they also overlapped those of all the collared females in 1981. Four collared bears were legally killed during the study; three were males; three were subadults. Black bear food habitats show a transition from leafy forage to berries by early July. Meat is used primarily in the spring; insects are used in the summer. The diet of the cubs closely followed that of their mothers, except that the cubs tended to use lower-growing shrubs during the berry season. Bears used the forested, shrubfield, habitat type more than its availability; they used cutting units, open sidehill parks, and talus/scree/rock components, less than their availability. Dens were located for all collared bears; most were ground dens under logs. A rock cave den and two tree dens were also located. Minimal food habits data on the grizzlies during 1981 show a close parallel with black bears habits, except for greater use of roots. My black bears were not found to dig roots, but used insects more extensively. Black and grizzly bears were observed in close proximity during the study, primarily in highly productive berry patches. The phenology of bear foods, cambium feeding, and tree denning are also presented for comparison with other areas. Ill Table of Contents ABSTRACT II TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES V LIST OF TABLES vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS viii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. HOMERANGES, FOOD HABITS AND HABITAT USE BY FEMALE BLACK BEARS 3 IN N.W. MONTANA STUDY AREA 4 METHODS 8 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 10 Home Range 11 Food Habits 22 Feeding Behavior 30 Habitat Use 31 Black bear dens 35 Grizzly bears 36 3. PHENOLOGY OF SELECTEDBEAR FOODS, N. FK. FLATHEAD RIVER, 42 MONTANA STUDY AREA 44 METHODS 49 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 50 4. TREE DENNING BY A FEMALEBLACK BEAR IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, 62 MONTANA 5. CHEMICAL RESTRAINT OF BEARS WITH A BLOWGUN AND PLASTIC 68 DISPOSABLE SYRINGE DARTS METHODS 69 Blowpipe Construction 69 Dart Construction 70 Charging and use of the dart 72 Immobilization procedures 74 RESULTS 74 DISCUSSION 75 LITERATURE CITED 79 Appendix A. Plant and Animal Species List 89 Appendix B. Descriptive data on black bears captured during 1980-82, North 92 Fork of the Flathead River. Appendix C. Visual observations of collared black bears. North Fork of the 94 Flathead River, 1980-82. Appendix D. Physical data collected from black bear dens. North Fork of the 96 Flathead River, 1980-82. Appendix E. Physical data collected from black bear beds. North Fork of the 98 Flathead River, 1980-81. Appendix F. Black bear scat analysis results, 1980-81, North Fork of the 100 Flathead River (n=363). Appendix G. Descriptions of phenology stages. 103 Appendix H. Phenology data for 22 permanent plots (1980-82), North Fork of 106 the Flathead River. Appendix I. Descriptions of generalized habitat components. 137 Appendix J. CAMBIUM FEEDING BY A FEMALE BLACK BEAR IN 139 NORTHWESTERN MONTANA STUDY AREA 141 General Description 141 Stand description 141 METHODS 142 RESULTS 142 DISCUSSION 148 Appendix K. BIBLIOGRAPHY; BEAR USE OF CAMBIUM 155 IV List of Figures Figure 2-1: North Fork of the Flathead River Study Area. 5 Figure 2-2: Seasonal and total home ranges of female black bears Nos. 12 82 and 364 during 1980. Figure 2-3: Seasonal and total home ranges of female black bears Nos. 13 82 and 364 during 1981. Figure 2-4: Incomplete home-ranges of three female black bears, 1981. 16 Figure 2-5: Home-ranges of all female black bears during 1981. 17 Figure 2-6: Hom e-ranges of all male black bears during 1981. 18 Figure 2-7: Locations of collared black bears killed during the study. 19 Figure 2-8: Percent volume of major black bear food items (1980-81). 23 Figure 2-9: Percent volume of major food items (1980-81). A. Female 24 No. 82. B. Two cubs (1981). Figure 2-10: Percent volume of major food items (1980-81). A. Female 25 No. 364. B. Three cubs (1981). Figure 2-11: General availability of bear foods in low (< 1300m) and 28 high ( > 1400m) elevation phenology plots during 1981. For species codes see Appendix A. Figure 2-12: Use of habitat components by black bears, 1980-81, in the 33 N. Fk. Flathead River study area. + = Used significantly more than available. - = Used significantly less than available (0.05 level of significance). See Appendix I for component codes. Figure 2-13: Percent volume of major grizzly bear food items (1981), 37 North Fork Flathead River. Data do not include scats analyzed in the field during 1981. Figure 3-1: Location of phenology plots within the North Fork of the 45 Flathead River study area. Figure 3-2: General phonological development of plant species in low 51 (< 1300m) and high (> 140 0 ) elevation phenology plots. For plant species codes see Appendix A. Figure 3—3: Incremental growth rates of cow parsnip in low (Nos. 4 and 57 8) and high (Nos. 18 and 19) elevation phenology plots, 1980-82 data combined. Figure 3-4: Growth rates of cow parsnip in low (Nos. 4 and 8) and high 58 (Nos. 4 and 19) elevation phenology plots, 1980-82. Figure 5-1: Dart construction. 73 Figure 5-2: Needle Preparation. 73 V Figure 5-3 Preparation of the charging needle. 73 Figure 5-4 Loading and charging the dart. 73 Figure J-1 Stand composition and beetle kill (%) of PICO by DBH 145 classes. Figure J-2; Trees fed on and killed {%) by bears by DBH classes. 145 Figure J-3; Bear use (%) of individual tree species by DBH classes. 146 Figure J-4: Distance between trees that were fed on by bears in 1981. 149 Figure J-5: Height of peeled bark on trees fed on in 1981. 149 Figure J-6: Percent circumference of stripped bark on trees fed on in 149 1981. VI List of Tables Table 3-1: Monthly, yearly and long-term average precipitation (cm) at 47 Polbridge, MT (compiled from Climatological Data Annual Summaries, Montana. NOAA National Climatic Data Center, AshviHe, N. Carolina). Table 3-2: Annual snow depth (cm) (1 March and 1 April) at Kishenehn 47 Patrol Cabin, Glacier National Park, Montana (calculated from Snow Survey Data, Soil Conservation Service, Bozeman, Montana). Table 3-3: Descriptive data on 22 phenology plots, N. Fk. Flathead River. 49 Table 5-1; Materials necessary to construct a single 5 ml dart. 70 Table J-1: Stand composition, beetle kill and bear use of a timber stand, 144 as determined by two data sets. VII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to my major professor C. Jonkel and to the other members of my committee B.