Grizzly Bears and Kokanee  

Within the research forest boundary there are two streams in which kokanee salmon come to spawn in the fall. As the kokanee die in these streams, they attract grizzly bears, and allow us to monitor populations of these bears in the area by collecting DNA.

Collaborators

  • Shelley Marshall

    Government of British Columbia

  • Dexter Hodder

    JPRF

  • Kara Macaulay

    Government of British Columbia

How to collect bear hair?

We collect bear hair with barbed wire. The wire is placed at approximately knee height, in a small circle. In the center of the circle is a smelly attractant that draws bears in, and as they cross the barbed wire, small samples of hair get caught in the barbs. These hairs are collected by our staff and then sent to a lab for processing.

Funding provided by