Bears are fascinating, and I was blown away by last week's conversation with Toogee Sielsch on the urbanization of black bears in Lake Tahoe Basin (if you haven't listened to the episode yet, go back). This week, I wanted to learn more about bear biology and behavior, and who better to ask than wildlife biologist Jim Akenson. Jim conducted a tremendous black bear study in Northeast Oregon back in the early 90s. He and his team used a variety of methods, including hounds and climbing trees, to trap, tag, and monitor bears. In this episode, Jim recounts what he learned about black bear communication and behavior, size, den choice, reproduction, and more while studying these intelligent animals.    Check out the new DECKED system and get free shipping