Scattered Episode 06: Bears – Interviews with Dan, Dave and Lyle

Dan Zadra, David Lewis, and Lyle Willmarth all work with Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Many big thanks to these men for sharing their wisdom with me!

Dan is a Wildlife/Property Technician who used to be a hunting guide. Dave works seasonally and part-time with CPW, and Lyle is full-time veteran with over 25 years under this belt.

In this episode we talk about:

• black bear behaviour compared to cougar (mountain lion) behaviour
• why bears scavenge and under what conditions, including hypophagia
• what bears prefer in scavenged food sources
• if bears scatter or travel with scavenged remains

*Note: When Dan talks about bears dragging a carcass to cover, it is more during the warmer months, when the hot sun beating down on them would make an otherwise fine dining experience very unpleasant!

Do you have a search story to share? I’d love to hear it.