University of Arizona researcher investigates black bear population in Chuska Mountains

Deandra Jones heard many stories about black bears when she was growing up on the Navajo Nation near the Chuska Mountains, but she never saw one.

“I’ve always kind of had that question of, why don’t I ever see black bears? Why don’t we ever see bears in this area? I think for me personally, that was one of the things that intrigued me to do this research,” Jones said.

The University of Arizona Ph.D. student is trying to find out how many black bears live in the Chuska Mountains, a mountain range on the border of Arizona and New Mexico, and examine human-bear interactions and conflicts on the Navajo Nation. She’s also working to document and preserve some of the traditional knowledge surrounding black bears in Navajo culture.

“They show up in our stories, our ceremonies, and our teachings about protection and respect,” Jones said. “But then of course, they play that ecological role in the mountains and the forests of the Navajo Nation.”

The five-year project is part of Jones’ Ph.D. research and is being done in collaboration with entities like the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Jones’ curiosity wasn’t the only thing that inspired her project. The Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife identified a potential increase in human-bear interactions in the area and the black bear was one of the wildlife species the department wanted more research on, she explained.

Her project has taken a noninvasive approach. The bears don’t have to be trapped or collared.

“You’re not supposed to interact with them, you’re not supposed to touch them, you’re not supposed to feed them, because they’re more than just animals. They are our relatives.” Jones said, which raised the question of how to do the research in a respectful way that balanced scientific responsibility with cultural values.

Jones consulted her parents for guidance.

“I refer to them as my cultural advisors,” she said.

Jones and her colleagues set up hair snares at specific sites throughout the mountain range, then sent the collected hair for DNA analysis. A statistical analysis will help them determine what the bear population looks like in that general area.

The hair snares use barbed wire set up around three to six trees. Then bait is placed in the middle, encouraging the bear to crawl over or under the wire, rub against it and leave behind some hair. The researchers set up cache sites covered in leaves, branches and dirt, imitating the way some animals hide food.

The bears are attracted to the spot with potent bear lures, sardines and glazed doughnuts. The bear lure has a sweet, fishy smell.

“It’s very potent, so it’ll burn your nostrils,” Jones said.

Over the course of two summers, Jones and her colleagues used 108 cache sites throughout the mountain range. The sites are randomly chosen to ensure the statistical analysis avoids bias.

In 2024, they focused on the northern part of the mountain range and were able to collect hundreds of hair samples. The DNA analysis identified 62 individual black bears. This summer they focused on the middle and southern part of the mountain range. The hair samples from this year were just sent out for DNA analysis. Results will likely come early next year.

Jones may be able to publish some of the results about bear population numbers. She also gathered stories on the cultural significance of black bears, which will be given to the Navajo Nation Heritage Program to archive.

The research is being funded by grants and scholarships from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Geographic Society and has also been supported by the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and the Ancestral Lands Corporation.