Could baiting actually increase the population by increasing the reproductive rate of bears through a supplemental feeding program at the onset of their breeding season?
If bait is having a positive effect on bear reproduction, we have not been able to detect it so far. Based on den entry and reproductive success data, it appears that late fall food is still the driving influence on bear reproduction in Maine. From 1982 through 1996, McLaughlin (1998) observed that most litters produced in the northern bear study area (Spectacle Pond) occurred following a fall when beechnuts were common or abundant. Following years of beechnut scarcity, only 15% of the breeding females produced cubs, whereas, following years of beechnut abundance, 82% of the breeding females produced cubs. Recently, the reproductive synchrony in the Spectacle Pond Study Area has been dampened by a sub-par beechnut year followed by a better than average non-beechnut year. However, the bears still den early and produce fewer cubs when natural fall foods are not available, indicating that baiting is not having a major affect on reproductive success. Reproductive success in the Stacyville
Related Questions
- Could baiting actually increase the population by increasing the reproductive rate of bears through a supplemental feeding program at the onset of their breeding season?
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