Study Areas

Our Chief Bear Biologist, the most respected bear man in the United States is Randy Cross. He has been working and studying bear for over thirty years. Not much gets by this boy. Quickly the state has an ongoing bear research program. There are three study areas where female bears are caught in the spring, fitted with radio collars and monitored through out the year. In the winter a den study is completed to review birth rates and information about the bears. Study areas include a cross section of Maine, from different lands, soils and feed. There is a Northern Study area outside of Ashland, another near Bradford and a fairly new one downeast near Westly. The number of collared females varies, from 15-25 in each area. The information gained is critical in maintaining our bear population.