Oklahoma Project
Evaluating the population status of black bears in the Oklahoma Panhandle
January 2022 - June 2024
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is an economically and ecologically important game species of management interest across its distribution. Western Oklahoma has seen an increase in black bear observations and bear-human conflict reports. It is unclear if bears occurring in the Oklahoma panhandle constitute a resident population or transient individuals dispersing from neighboring states. To effectively manage bears in western Oklahoma and minimize or mitigate bear-human conflicts, managers require reliable information on the distribution, abundance, and origin of bears in the region. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify factors influencing black bear detection, evaluate black bear space use, and identify factors associated with black bear occurrence, (2) estimate the number and sex ratio of black bears, and (3) assess connectivity of black bears in the Oklahoma panhandle with populations in New Mexico and Colorado. This research is a collaboration between the USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Research Publications | Publication Date |
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Kleeberg, B.A., Lonsinger, R.C. and Fairbanks, W.S. (2024). WHITE-BACKED HOG-NOSED SKUNK (CONEPATUS LEUCONOTUS) OCCURRENCE IN THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. The Southwestern Naturalist, 69(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-69.1.9. | Abstract | October 2024 |
Presentations | Presentation Date |
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Kleeberg, B.A., W.S. Fairbanks, J.R. Adams, L.P. Waits, and R.C. Lonsinger. 2024. Estimating population genetic structure and genetic diversity of black bears in western Oklahoma. Oklahoma Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Edmond, OK. | February 2024 |
Hubler, S., B.A. Kleeberg, J.M. Humm, C.N. Dotterweich, R.C. Lonsinger, and W.S. Fairbanks. 2024. Comparison of black bear (Ursus americanus) diets in eastern and western Oklahoma. American Society of Mammalogists Annual Meeting, Boulder, CO. | June 2024 |
Buie, M.D., B.A. Kleeberg, W.S. Fairbanks, M.C. Chitwood, R.C. Lonsinger. 2024. Estimating species richness in an ephemeral system. Undergraduate Research Symposium, Stillwater, OK. | April 2024 |
Theses and Dissertations | Publication Date |
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Kleeberg, B. A. 2022. Landscape associations and population genetics of American black bear in the Oklahoma Panhandle. M.S. Thesis. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. | May 2024 |