SUBJECT: Pulaski
students build a better bear trap
Wildlife
managers for east-central Wisconsin picked up a new bear trap this morning for
rapid response situations, beautifully designed and built by natural resources
students at Pulaski High School.
Students
Chasten Fatla, a junior, and Brock Bogacz, a sophomore, took on the project
after James Robaidek, a wildlife technician with the Department of Natural Resources,
approached engineering teacher Jerad Marsh and asked if he knew of students who
might be interested in a big project with a tight budget and a timeline. He
did.
Robaidek
said he provided some basic ideas for starters, but Fatla and Bogacz designed
and built the trap themselves
“They
did all the research themselves,” Robaidek said. “This is a phenomenal design.”
The
culvert-style trap is made from aluminum tubing mounted on a trailer frame.
Bait can be placed inside, luring the bear in, where it will step on a pressure
plate, triggering a spring-activated door that quickly shuts behind it. The
design is safe and practical for wildlife managers, and the bear.
Robaidek
assured onlookers this morning that bears will indeed walk up the trailer ramp
and enter the huge metal tube.
“The
power of food is incredible when it comes to bears,” Robaidek said. “It’s all
about their tummies.”
Wisconsin's
bear population is expanding, which means residents in east-central Wisconsin
can expect to see more black bears in areas outside of traditional bear range.
Human-bear conflicts have increased.
The
DNR and the United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services receive
over 1,100 complaints annually about black bears, resulting in the trapping and
relocation of more than 500 animals each year. Anyone who encounters a nuisance
bear in Wisconsin can call 1-800-228-1366 for assistance.
Most
are not problem bears, Robaidek said, just wanderers who find themselves in
trouble. DNR and Wildlife Services staff can generally trap these bears without
the need for immobilizing chemicals and then relocate them to remote public
lands.
“We’re
giving them a second chance to get it right,” Robaidek said.
The
department’s wildlife management staff minimizes human-bear conflicts by
explaining ways to coexist with black bears, controlling bear populations
through hunter harvest and, when necessary, providing direct assistance to
landowners through the local wildlife biologist and a service agreement with
USDA-Wildlife Services.
While
the DNR and Wildlife Services have several traps spread across east-central
Wisconsin, they are often in use, which delays relocation. Wildlife staff
recognized a need for an additional, more centrally located bear trap and
transport trailer. A new bear trap can be expensive, however, costing upwards
of $6,000, if you can find a shop willing to take on the work.
Pulaski
Area High School teachers Kaleb Santy and Jared Marsh stepped up to the plate
and said they could help. Students Fatla and Bogacz decided to construct the
bear trap nearly from scratch. They produced a superior trap for about $3,000.
They saved the DNR money and took an active role in the management of black
bears in Wisconsin.
It
took about seven months, and they delivered it in time for the busy month of
June when bears are on the move.
“We
had a good time building it,” said Fatla, a hunter and angler, “and it was
definitely cool to build this thing for the DNR.”
Bogacz
said they repeatedly tested the trap. If it was something they were building
for themselves, they might cut a corner here and there. But not for this
project.
“Here
we made sure we did everything right,” he said.
