In 2010, 189 corrals were deployed throughout the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE), with putative bears detected at 147 corrals (i.e., 78%; see map below). A total of 1,196 hair samples were collected from these corrals, and DNA tests are pending on the 700 samples sent to Wildlife Genetics International.
Twenty-locus black bear genotypes acquired from 2010 genetic samples will be combined with those from 2008 (pilot) and 2009 NCE samples (n = 82; see map at right)—along with those from samples collected in 2011—such that we will have a sufficient sample size to conduct a comprehensive landscape genetic analysis.
In addition to hair samples, we also DNA-tested 38 black bear tissue samples from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), which yielded 20-locus genotypes from both the NCE (n= 14) and the Capitol Forest area of southern Puget Sound (n = 24; see map at left). The latter will provide an interesting genetic comparison with NCE data.
Remote cameras were deployed at 48 corral sites in 2010, yielding photos of dozens of black bears and numerous images of other species of interest (see Photo Gallery)
Although no grizzly bears were captured by remote camera in 2010, the DNA testing of hair samples is currently in progress.