A Preliminary Field Evaluation of Candidate Repellents to Reduce Black Bear Damage to Western Larch Trees

Bear damage to western larch trees on intensively managed public and private forest lands of the Intermountain West continues to be a problem for forest managers. Bark stripping and subsequent cambium feeding by bears commences upon den emergence in the spring, when foraging options are most restrictive. Various damage reduction methods are often controversial (snaring, hunting, supplemental feeding), or do not always adequately resolve the problem (silvicultural strategies); hence, a need exists for the development of alternative nonlethal techniques to reduce damage. We tested the efficacy of three candidate repellents (Hot Sauce®, Tree Guard™, and grizzly bear feces) to reduce spring/summer bear damage to western larch trees on reforestation units in northern Idaho. Plots were laid out and treated in early June and examined for damage four months later. Thirty-four of 300 (11.3%) treated trees were damaged by black bears. Of the newly damaged trees, the highest damage rates were on the control plots: 15 of 75 (20%) trees. Damage levels to trees on treatment plots were 8-9.3%. Mean area of damage, or bark removal, on newly damaged trees only, was 452.8 cm2. Almost half (47%) of the bear-damaged trees were completely girdled. Chi-square contingency table analysis showed that the damage rate of treated trees was less than of control trees. No difference in mean surface area of damage was detected among treatments. Further testing is necessary to reveal the true potential of chemical repellents for reducing black bear damage to conifers in the spring. A wide array of chemicals should be evaluated for their potential