As mother bear dies she slips from the tree branch hitting the ground below, and the mob of hollering hounds begin to nip and bite at her lifeless body. The men turn her lifeless body over exposing her belly, discovery they’ve killed a mother Black Bear by mistake, and it’s illegal to kill any Black bear accompanied by a cub or cubs. The men decide it’s an easy fix because they never saw any cubs during the chase because they lost sight of their dogs. High tech collars with radio telemetry tracking devices are used to follow the dogs from up to five miles or more away from the chase.

The mother’s cubs cling to the upper branches of the tree balling loudly, but go silent when they hear the shot of thunder in the distance. The nine month old bear cubs begin searching for the scent of their mother in the air around them. They’ve been taught to stay in the tree until she calls for them. The cubs sit quietly in the tree waiting for the all clear signal from their mother. Its unbearably hot in September, and the cubs are getting thirsty


Discover more from The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Rachel Tilseth's avatar

By Rachel Tilseth

Rachel Tilseth is a Menomonie, Wisconsin-based environmental writer, filmmaker, and owner of Wolves of Douglas County WI Films & Media. Her work explores the intricate relationships between humans, wildlife, and local ecosystems. Through award-winning documentaries like People & Wolves, she seamlessly intertwines emotional depth with vital cultural and environmental education. Tilseth highlights environmental and economic causes that threaten vulnerable ecosystems. Through freelance writing, she advocates for sustainable coexistence between human communities and apex predators. As a documentarian, Tilseth has established a formidable voice in conservation media. Her acclaimed short film, People & Wolves: A Story of Coexistence, won Best Documentary Short at the Red Cedar Film Festival. The project features insights from renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, alongside perspectives from Ojibwa tribal members, hunters, and biologists. Operating independently of traditional non-profits, Tilseth champions grassroots citizen organizations. She works to educate the public on ecological economics and environmental sustainability to foster coexistence with nature.

Leave a Reply

Discover more from The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading