@article{urbanek_gillikin_olfenbuttel_dukes_2022, title={Survival of rehabilitated yearling American black bears}, volume={33}, ISSN={["1938-5439"]}, DOI={10.2192/URSUS-D-21-00013.2}, abstractNote={Abstract: Scant information regarding the fate of rehabilitated American black bears (Ursus americanus) postrelease exists in the literature. We estimated survival of 28 rehabilitated bears that were released between 2015 and 2018 in North Carolina, USA, and investigated what biological, landscape, and behavioral factors influenced their survival in their first year postrelease. Sixty-one percent of the bears died within 1 year and 65% of the mortalities were from legal hunter harvest. Bear survival declined rapidly with increasing road density. Few mortalities were attributed to vehicular incidents; therefore, road density likely acts as proxy to hunting accessibility, especially in rural areas. Home ranges of bears in our study included 0–11% development and we estimated our bears had a 90% survival rate within their first year postrelease if their home range included 6–11% of developed land. In urban areas, ordinances and small parcels tend to restrict the opportunity for hunting, which may create a refugia for some black bears. Our results also indicate that female rehabilitated bears may be more susceptible to hunting pressures than are wild females. Release weight had a positive effect on survival; heavier bears were likely less attracted to anthropogenic food sources (e.g., crops, bird feeders) that would have made them susceptible to hunters compared with more reliable, natural food sources. Individuals that moved slightly more tortuous paths than average in our study had a lower survival probability, likely from remaining in the same area. We recommend that managers select release sites for bears that limit harvest via accessible roads. We also recommend ensuring 1.25–1.5-year-old bears are ≥71 kg at release to enhance survival probability. Our results add to the growing body of bear rehabilitation research and can inform programs in which rehabilitation is critical to species restoration efforts.}, number={E9}, journal={URSUS}, author={Urbanek, Rachael E. and Gillikin, Mike N. and Olfenbuttel, Colleen and Dukes, Casey G.}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }
 @article{gillikin_urbanek_olfenbuttel_dukes_2021, title={Spatial analysis of rehabilitated American black bears to assess conflict potential}, volume={32}, ISSN={["1938-5439"]}, DOI={10.2192/URSUS-D-20-00025.2}, abstractNote={Abstract: Analyses of postrelease movements and behaviors may indicate the propensity of rehabilitated American black bears (Ursus americanus) to be involved in human–bear conflicts. We assessed various linear and Euclidean distances and constructed collar duration and seasonal home-range estimates using Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models to determine whether 28 rehabilitated yearling bears released in North Carolina, USA, between 2015 and 2018 established a home range or remained transient. Male bears typically moved farther than females, and Mountain region bears typically moved farther than Coastal Plain region bears. All bears showed equally tortuous movement patterns across regions and sexes. Seven bears traveled greater distances than the average of all bears in this study and 2 bears did not establish a home range; these results indicate transient behavior. No bears exhibiting transient behavior were involved with human–bear conflicts, but the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission received calls concerning 4 resident bears, 2 of which exhibited behaviors that would potentially lead to human–bear conflicts. Knowledge of postrelease bear movements will inform management decisions by improving understanding of how movements may affect human–bear interactions.}, number={E15}, journal={URSUS}, author={Gillikin, Mike N. and Urbanek, Rachael E. and Olfenbuttel, Colleen and Dukes, Casey G.}, year={2021}, month={Jan} }
 @article{heinlein_urbanek_olfenbuttel_dukes_2020, title={Effects of different attractants and human scent on mesocarnivore detection at camera traps}, volume={47}, ISSN={["1448-5494"]}, DOI={10.1071/WR19117}, abstractNote={
Abstract
ContextCamera traps paired with baits and scented lures can be used to monitor mesocarnivore populations, but not all attractants are equally effective. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of different attractants on the success of luring mesocarnivores to camera traps; fewer studies have examined the effect of human scent at camera traps.
AimsWe sought to determine the effects of human scent, four attractants and the interaction between attractants and human scent in luring mesocarnivores to camera traps.
Methods We compared the success of synthetic fermented egg (SFE), fatty acid scent (FAS) tablets, castor oil, and sardines against a control of no attractant in luring mesocarnivores to camera traps. We deployed each attractant and the control with either no regard to masking human scent or attempting to restrict human scent for a total of 10 treatments, and replicated treatments eight to nine times in two different phases. We investigated whether: (1) any attractants increased the probability of capturing a mesocarnivore at a camera trap; (2) not masking human scent affected the probability of capturing a mesocarnivore at a camera trap; and (3) any attractants increased the probability of repeat detections at a given camera trap. We also analysed the behaviour (i.e. speed and distance to attractant) of each mesocarnivore in relation to the attractants.
Key resultsSardines improved capture success compared with the control treatments, whereas SFE, castor oil, and FAS tablets had no effect when all mesocarnivores were included in the analyses. Masking human scent did not affect detection rates in the multispecies analyses. Individually, the detection of some species depended on the interactions between masking (or not masking) human scent and some attractants.
ConclusionsSardines were the most effective as a broad-based attractant for mesocarnivores. Mesocarnivores approached traps baited with sardines at slower rates, which allows for a higher success of capturing an image of the animal.
ImplicationsHuman scent may not need to be masked when deploying camera traps for multispecies mesocarnivore studies, but researchers should be aware that individual species respond differently to attractants and may have higher capture success with species-specific attractants.
}, number={4}, journal={WILDLIFE RESEARCH}, author={Heinlein, Bracy W. and Urbanek, Rachael E. and Olfenbuttel, Colleen and Dukes, Casey G.}, year={2020}, pages={338–348} }