During spring 2005 our crew caught, radio-marked, and translocated 7 adult females and 15 cubs. Initially, we located previously radio-collared bears (potential candidates) in winter tree dens on the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge, in northeastern Louisiana using radio-telemetry from the ground (primarily with ATVs) and from small, fixed-wing aircraft. Next, my technician and I climbed den trees (most typically, huge bald-cypress trees in swamps) using harnesses, ascenders, and climbing rope, to determine if females had cubs. In mid-March we again climbed den trees, anesthetized females in [View Full Entry]

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For over 30 years management biologists have been annually surveying elk herds during the spring from fixed-wing aircraft in west-central Montana. Observers record the ratio of cow elk to calf elk to measure the productivity of the elk herd, i.e., high calf:cow ratios equate to a productive, growing elk herd. Since the late 1980s biologists have observed a progressive decline in the annual production of elk calves. My research empirically tested 3 hypotheses in an attempt to understand this trend: A) calf declines are the result of nutritional deficiencies resulting from high elk densities [View Full Entry]

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Summer 2007 we climbed highest peak in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, to take in monsoon lightning; paid homage to the Saguaros; backpacked down Kaibab Trail and up Bright Angel, ie, north rim to river and back in Grand Canyon; groped at timelessness in Petrified Forest National Park; and played blind cavefish in Carlsbad and Sonora Caverns (or was it "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict"?) What better than Cactus Ed . . . "Benedicto: May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountai [View Full Entry]

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We're new bloggernauts - playing around a bit here. Think we might communicate via travelblog from Thailand. I'm uploading pics of our 10 week roadtrip from south Texas to southeast Alaska during summer 2006 for starters. We backpacked across the gamut of Rocky Mountain national parks. Highlights included a 40 mile backcountry hike in Banff, and getting dropped by floatplane off Admiralty Island to kayak into Pack Creek brown bear observatory. So, I'll sign off with an excerpt from natural history writer Dave Quammen's "Monster of God" (hopefully, the relevance is apparent) . . . "Si [View Full Entry]

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