We're going on a bear hunt; I'm not afraid

NEBO LOOP, Juab County — Purposely poking a sleeping bear is not something the Division of Wildlife Resources normally recommends.

But in the case of a few female bears that wear radio collars, wildlife officials seek them out once a year.

And yes, they poke them, but only to inject them with a tranquilizer that allows DWR officials to check for offspring and make any adjustments to the tracking devices.

The tracking devices allow officials to gather information that helps manage populations and understand mortality and reproductive rates. The numbers of bears wearing radio collars differs depending on what region of the state you're in, but in the Nephi area there are five female bears wearing radio collars.

"It's really important," said Craig Clyde, wildlife program manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "We don't have a lot of information on bear populations. All we get is what we learn from harvests. We find out production and survival numbers and that's the most valuable."

Bear cubs den with their mothers for two years, which helps officials confirm whether or not the young bears are surviving.

"Production and survival are not the same thing out here in the wild," said Clyde. "It's a tough world."

On Monday, DWR officials checked on a 3-year-old bear in a den considered one of the easiest to find. They invited members of the media to come along for the hike, which required snowshoes for most of the trek.

Clyde explained that a small group of DWR officials would set out to find the den and then radio back to the larger group, which included DWR family members and media.

"We've got to find the signal," he said. "And then we've got to clear the way to the cave."

So off they went. And then we followed at a much more sporadic pace. Some adventurers were new to snowshoes, while others were experienced with the advantages — and disadvantages — to the art of walking on snow.

We traveled up a trail, which had clearly been blazed (using this term loosely) by someone following a beeping radio signal. It meandered up and down the mountain and through some trees and brush.

It wasn't too bad a journey most of the time, although several of us decided to test our ability to slide on our snow pants or backs rather than trying to sidestep down the hillside.