Well, your situation sounds different from those that I am experienced
with. If the site (& bear) are well known and being monitored by
scientists, and they have given you the option of making the recording,
then the risk to the bear may be somewhat less than I initially thought.
Odd that he can be heard from 30 ft away. Of all the 'surprise encounters'
(with denned bears)I've been told about, none of the people have actually
heard the bear beforehand...maybe they're under too much dirt & snow around
here. I would guess that if the bear is used to hearing people nearby, it
may not be a big issue to creep up to the den entrance and QUICKLY &
QUIETLY place your mic just inside the entrance, then get away. You really
don't want to disturb the animal. That consideration should be paramount.
The metabolic & physiological effects of waking a bear aren't the same as
for a true hibernator, as you point out. They do wake frequently from their
winter sleep. However, the ultimate consequences of disturbing / scaring a
bear enough to actually leave it's den are significant and not good. And
most bears that leave the winter den 'unwillingly' do not come back to
resume their dormancy.
On the bird nest topic, if you can find the nest as it's being built, you
can give it a try as you state below. The bird may see you or your activity
and abandon the site. Probably not much to record though...the birds will
be quiet around the nest. There are a lot of nest predators out
there..aside from coons & snakes - squirrels, weasels, jays, etc. Some
follow scent signature, others use visual cues and others auditory - as
when the parent bird scolds you when you come to check on the setup, etc.
And if you use a long cord (recommended to avoid disturbance) the mice &
squirrels may chew on it!
Good luck, but the primary thought for all ethical nature recordists,
photographers, etc is to avoid or minimise disturbance to the subject.
Mark Phinney
On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 8:18 PM, Eric Schmidt <> wrote:
> **
>
>
> Thanks Mark and Martyn,
>
> > Beware that black bears are not true hibernators. They can & will wake
> > up
> > very quickly.
>
> Yes, I knew that they break hibernation. By very quickly do you mean
> they wake on the slightest sound or that they can go from sleep into a
> fully alert and conscious state rapidly. I was under the impression
> that initially they can be expected to be somewhat "groggy". Why I'm
> seeking some advise.
>
> > Aside from the potential danger to you
>
> Risk in everything, you do what you can to minimize it.
>
> > & your equipment is
>
> Won't be the first time I've lost equipment. Again minimize the chance
> of it happening is all you can do.
>
> > the disturbance to the bear. Once disturbed & scared from the den, they
> > generally will not go back to the same site.
>
> I was under the impression that they will generally go back to the same
> den site after awakening and it's unusual but not a rarity to have them
> wake up. I have no intention of causing an awakened bear. Correct me
> if I'm wrong, I don't think it's as costly as having a bat roused from
> slumber. But they shouldn't be unnecessarily disturbed.
>
> > Then they are left to wander
> > at a time of year they are not meant to be out. No good food (other
> > than
> > human-sourced, which won't end well) and nowhere to go. I strongly
> > advise against rousting the bear from it's winter lair.
>
> OK - three people are against it. I am going to pursue it further. I
> will not make up my mind until I get over there and check out the
> situation, den location and accessibility, and talk with the scientists
> there. If I decide that the chances of disturbance, etc. are minimal
> I'm going to record sound. Note: I have opted not to proceed before.
> But this bear is known and seems like a good candidate.
>
> Plan would be get in set the two mics, or more with a mixer, back off
> 150 feet, record 2 hours and leave. Come back right before I leave to
> retrieve the mics and be gone.
>
> > Thus, no noisy or
> > intrusive behaviour. a mic placed quietly on a pole and left for quite
> > some
> > time MAY be ok, but beware it could be destroyed.
>
> So place the shotgun on a stand close to the hole pointing in, no
> talking while close (I won't walk up there without at the minimum being
> within someone's eyesight) and get in and get out as fast and quietly
> as possible. Anything else I'm missing.
>
> If the hole is no longer there I won't make one.
>
> > flash photography is not
> > a good option.
>
> I agree here, that's why I stated I can live without it. I don't know
> how he would react to a flash and don't want to take a chance on it
> disturbing his sleep.
>
> > Despite the temptation it's probably best to leave them be.
> > A sow with cubs may produce more interesting sounds and she would be
> > less
> > likely to abandon the site - but more likely to eat your mic...
>
> From what I've been told the female's den site is more "precarious"
> than the males and I'm not even considering visiting her.
>
> The male is on a university biological research station site and is
> being observed. I'm told you can easily hear him from a trail 30 feet
> away from the den. Haven't been there yet so don't know how close or
> obtrusive the bear is subjected to. They like having him around so I'm
> assuming they are giving him some space. And they are comfortable
> enough to invite me - I've done stuff with them before. I'm given to
> understand the trail is often used to access a study site. That's how
> he was originally discovered.
>
> >
> > The bird nest thing is a possibility. The fewer visits to the nest the
> > better, and maybe wait til the chicks have hatched.
>
> I was hoping to be there as the nest is being build.
>
> > Don't draw predator
> > attention to the nest
>
> I know raccoons will associate human activity with a good chance of
> finding a meal and even after a single visit. Have to watch it with
> bluebird trails. But I don't know of anything else to do except get in
> and get out and minimize the walking around doing the placement
> activity. Anything else? Take anti-scent precautions like deer
> hunters do?
>
> > and don't disturb the nest itself (setup should be
> > cryptic),
>
> What do you mean cryptic? If you mean having the little mic (and I'm
> amazed at how small it is) hidden and the cable snaked behind bark,
> etc, I'm with you already.
>
> > but beware that activity like this probably does increase the
> > likelihood of nest depredation.
>
> Snakes and raccoons are the two biggest concerns. Snakes won't be real
> active yet.
>
> I thought nest has to be a tree nesting species with nest 5 or 6 feet
> minimum from the ground and within reach of a smallish step-stool.
>
> > just my two cents. I am a wildlife biologist, but not a professional
> > nature
> > recordist, so others undoubtedly have more direct experience in these
> > matters than I...
>
> Well, they can have experience in recording, but, hopefully, you've got
> a leg up on behaviors, etc.
>
>
>
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