Nevada
UNR researchers shed light on how bears choose where they hibernate
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A newly published study by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, sheds light on how bears choose their homes.
As winter inches closer in the Sierra Nevada, black bears are on the move looking for the perfect place to hibernate. And, like their human neighbors, the region’s black bears are searching for winter homes that are safe, warm and good places to get youngsters started in life.
“When they put tracking collars on the bears you get the advantage of a lot more data,” begins Heather Reich, a wildlife biologist with the study.
Reich and Kelly Stewart were two of the researchers on this project. They analyzed data collected since 1997 to give us new insight into these winter rituals. They say the findings are crucial due to our changing climate and evolving urban areas.
“It’s nice to have this baseline data to see what they’re selecting now, and as we get further into the future, seeing how things change,” said Stewart. Not just with the climate, but with expanding human development and how that is impacting where bears sleep for the winter. Eventually, maybe it even gets too warm and they don’t really do that.”
Among the key findings in the study are that female bears den earlier, and stay longer, than the males.
“The females probably came out later because they were waiting for the cubs to be ready to move on,” Stewart explained.
For Stewart, there was one particular habit by males that surprised her in the study. Male black bears apparently begin to stir out of their dens when day and nighttime temperatures remain above freezing, but temperatures don’t appear to be a big factor in female decisions about departure. Den locations aren’t reused from one year to the next. Instead, bears select a new den each year. For both males and females, den types are often similar. Rugged terrain and secluded spaces are preferred with hollowed trees or rock piles serving as shelters. This includes natural bedding the bears would use like pine needles, sagebrush, and leaf litter. But it was the location that the researchers found would sometimes differ.
“Females really liked steeper slopes. Males stayed away from roads to be away from disturbance. It looked like females were avoiding males and tended to stay closer to the road,” Stewart said.
According to Reich, black bears had largely disappeared from our region by the early 1900s after forests were cleared to meet the demands of the mining industry, and bears were hunted aimlessly. Today, black bear populations are being reintroduced, now going as far east as the Hawthorne area. This is something she says will also help to figure out habitat needs.
“With Nevada having so much public land, we have multi-use land sites that bears are using for their dens. So, future management plans may be able to incorporate the data from this publication to help with some of those decisions,” Reich said.
The foundation for the new analysis of bear dens came from data painstakingly collected by the Nevada Department of Wildlife from 2011 to 2022. It identified 116 den sites in the region after putting GPS collars on bears and tracking when they stopped moving about during the winter and stirred again in the spring.
The University researchers visited 26 den sites in the Sierra Nevada, Pine Nut Mountains, and Virginia Range. They carefully detailed the topography, vegetation, and concealment at each location.
Stewart, who also conducts research as part of the university’s Experiment Station, said the ongoing close cooperation between the University’s Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science and the Nevada Department of Wildlife is among the elements that have built the department’s strong reputation.
“Our students have the opportunity for a lot of hands-on experience that supports what they learn in the classroom from our excellent faculty,” she said. “When our students present at conferences, we often hear that their work is some of best.”
Contributors to the bear-den research included Morgan Long, a graduate student, and Kevin Shoemaker, an associate professor, in the university’s Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science; Carl Lackey, a bear biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife; and Jon Beckman, an adjunct faculty member of the university and a wildlife supervisor with the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks.
Funding for the research was provided by a grant from the Nevada Wildlife Record Book Foundation.
Copyright 2024 KOLO. All rights reserved.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.
Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.
“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.
Book tour stop
The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.
Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.
It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.
“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”
He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.
“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”
That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.
“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”
‘You’re giving us a voice’
Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.
“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”
The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.
“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”
The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.
Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.
Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
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