Counting brown bears at permanent counting sites
Counting brown bears at permanent counting sites in Slovenia is one of the key methods for monitoring the status and the development of the population itself. This is the oldest systematic brown bear monitoring system in Slovenia, which has been carried out continuously since 1993, and in its current form since 2003. Its main purpose is to obtain reliable data that form the basis for professional and responsible management of the brown bear population.
How is the counting carried out?
Bear counting is carried out on a network of permanent counting sites, which are pre-determined feeding sites evenly distributed across the central area of bear occurrence in Slovenia. The network includes 167 counting sites, which are sufficiently distant from each other and usually also distant from settlements.
The count is carried out twice a year – in May and August, always on the same day and within the same time frame: from one hour before sunset to midnight. The counts are carried out in the field by hunting ground managers, often with the help of automatic cameras. For each counting site, the number of bears is recorded, their social structure, and the time of their arrival and departure from the feeding site.
What data is collected?
By counting at permanent counting sites, we obtain important information about:
- the number of bears observed,
- the proportion of leading females,
- the size of litters (cubs in their first and second year of life),
- the social and age structure of the population.
Although this method does not allow for a direct estimate of the total number of bears in Slovenia, it is a very reliable indicator of population trends, such as population growth or decline, reproductive success, and spatial distribution.
Bear monitoring is necessary for determining the conservation status of the population, which, according to European Union legislation, is the basis for any management measures. The monitoring data is used for:
- monitoring long-term population trends,
- preparing an expert base for management, including the possible removal of individual brown bears from nature,
- understanding the distribution and dynamics of the population.
In years when no genetic monitoring is conducted (which is done approximately every eight years), the monitoring based on permanent counting sites is the most important source of information about changes in the population.
Cooperation between hunters and expert institutions
Bear counting is the result of close cooperation between hunters, the Slovenian Hunting Association, regional hunting ground management associations, and the Slovenian Forest Service, which is responsible for coordinating, collecting, and analyzing data. Without the active participation of hunters, such a monitoring system would not be possible.
Long-term results show that the method is reliable, cost-effective, and indispensable for understanding the brown bear population in Slovenia.
You may read an article on this topic in Lovec magazine, on page 231 here.