2025 GBMP full-time field technicians. Clockwise: Kirsty, Kieran, Emma, Olivia, Sierra, and Sue.
Written by Sue MacKinnon and Sierra Makasoff; photos contributed by the whole crew.
Just as the bears emerge from their winter dens, so does the Grizzly Bear Monitoring Program field crew for their third field season of the project. This year’s field work involves collecting bear hair for DNA and hormone analysis to give insight into grizzly bear populations in the foothills region. The goals this year are to continue to monitor Bear Management Area 3 (south of Hinton to Highway 11), set up and monitor 80 new sites north of Hinton in Bear Management Area 2, monitor the corridor that links grizzly bear populations from Hinton to Fox Creek, and arguably the most important, spot as many different animals as possible to win the company-wide wildlife sighting cup.
To do this, we have brought together a mix of returning talent and fresh energy with six full-time field technicians. Kirsty, now a biologist on the grizzly bear crew after last summer’s field season, anchors the team with her growing expertise and calm confidence in the field. Olivia returns from studying wildlife conservation at UNB, bringing strong field skills and a steady enthusiasm that lifts long days in the bush. Emma is nearing the end of her studies at Lakeland College in environmental management, but back again and carrying her trademark charm and effortless humour that make even the toughest days brighter.
New to the team is Kieran, a University of British Columbia ecology student whose love of birds, plant identification, and slime molds adds curiosity and passion to our field days. Sierra joins us with a background in vegetation management, contributing a grounded perspective and the heart and grit needed for field work. Last but certainly not least, Sue joins us as she finishes a wildlife conservation degree at University of New Brunswick, bringing a deep passion for wildlife and an eagerness to learn all she can about grizzly bear ecology. In addition to these full-time field technicians, our crew also includes Sadie, Tyler, and Charles, who joined us for training and a few shifts throughout the summer. They bring knowledge of the Hinton area, good jokes, and handiness (especially when it comes to field trucks).
Together, this group of nine blends experience, knowledge, humour, and determination – everything needed for a great field season!
Upon meeting, it didn’t take long for the crew to get comfortable with each other. After all, we were moving into close quarters sharing holiday trailers at the RV Park in Hinton. We quickly adapted to our new home in the trailers from cooking one-pot meals, getting up early to avoid the bathroom rush, and ensuring the trailer door was shut behind us so Sewage the trailer park cat wouldn’t find her way into our sleeping bags (she’s cute until her leaky mouth is on your bed).
We spent the first two weeks going through safety training and field work prep including going through safety bins, learning protocols, and preparing scent lures. If forced proximity wasn’t enough to bond the team, sloshing around 900L of cow blood to get it ready for the season was sure to do it. The bosses couldn’t let us techs have all the fun, so the nine of us plus Darío and Cam headed out into the wilderness in trucks filled to the brim with buckets of fresh cow blood. Fully decked out in rain gear, we were ready for the task at hand: filtering and straining the blood that would be used as scent lures to attract bears all summer. It was a gruelling task that made you not so hungry for lunch anymore but hey, at least we only need to do this once… or so we thought, but we’ll get into that next time.
Finally after a long two weeks of training, the time had come for us to get into the field and start luring in the bears! Olivia, Sierra, and Cam made the trek to Kakwa camp to set up the northern half of the sites in Bear Management Area 2. The three set off each day into the unknown to set up as many sites as possible. Efficiency was the name of the game, and by the end of the shift, we were about as efficient as one could be at stringing barbed wire, barbing the bait tree (new method this year!), setting up the trail camera, filling out the data sheets, and pouring the lure. It only took one day in Kakwa for the crew to clinch the first grizzly bear sighting of the year for the team. This sighting confirmed we were in for some serious bear hair collecting (which was proven when Olivia and Sue returned next shift). When the three weren’t out tackling new (and muddy) roads, they could be found at Kakwa camp eating good food, watching the hockey playoffs, and debating would-you-rather questions. After nine days of good effort the team headed back to Hinton dreaming of all the bears being attracted to the new sites they had put their heart and souls into.
Meanwhile, back in Hinton, Emma, Kirsty, Kerian, and Sue rotated their field days between setting up new sites close to Hinton in bear management area 2 with Darío and reactivating the year-round sites in Bear Management Area 3. Their schedules were packed, but the energy stayed high. It helped that the trail cameras were already rewarding our efforts. Winter images of wolverine, cougar, and fisher appeared on the memory cards – just the kind of sightings that remind us why these long days matter. Every photo felt like a small victory and boosted the team’s motivation as the field season ramped up.
With all the sites set up/reactivated and everyone getting into the swing of things the 2025 field season had officially begun! We are looking forward to a summer full of plucking bear hair clumps off barbs and making great memories!
