Alaska is home to some of the largest brown bears on the planet, and听southeast Alaska鈥檚听Inside Passage includes several remote islands that have more giant bears per square mile than anywhere else in the world. We flew out to explore this wild听marvel鈥攈ere's how you can do the same.听

The Fortress of the Bears

Admiralty Island is one among听the hundreds that make up the rain-soaked Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska. 听Called听鈥淜ootznoowoo鈥� or 鈥淔ortress of the Bears鈥� by the native Tlingit tribe, the island has one of the highest concentrations of Ursus arctos on the planet, fed and nurtured by the annual drumbeat of pacific salmon drawn to its shaded streams. Abundance:听ad infinitum.听

These bears are big, really big, frequently tipping the scales at over 1,000 pounds. Here鈥檚 another surprising fact: there are so many of these brown beasts patrolling the shores of Admiralty that there are no black bears鈥攁nother southeast Alaska icon鈥攖o be found. All told there are more than 1,500 brown bears inhabiting this one island: that鈥檚 more than all the grizzlies in the lower 48 states combined.听

Float Plane into the Wild

Raindrops crawled slowly across the cold glass as I peered through our float听plane window at the forest below. Down below, a sea of undulating waves bordered rocky shores of pointed hemlock and spruce. Old-growth forests are often lauded for their serenity and solitude, but flying over the vast Tongass National Forest on a blustery day felt foreboding. A frayed yellow cord tied to the wing flapped violently as we flew along through wind and rain. The guttural roar of the single-engine motor was constant. As one side of the plane dipped down, we began to circle our landing spot. Sea and sky came together as we touched down on the water.听

“Well, here we are,” came the hissing welcome of our float听plane pilot through the intercom system. He turned and flashed a brief smile. Water vapor from my breath collected as I pressed my face closer to the window. Twisting my neck, I removed the intercom headphones cupped around my ears and heard the noise of the propellers come to an end. We had landed on the shores of Admiralty. We were in bear territory now.

“Any of you got waders?” asked our pilot, raising a bushy eyebrow. One quick look at the passengers gave him his answer. “Well, we'll figure something out,” he chirped. Swinging open the doors, the waist deep water lapped against the floats of the plane.听

Coming to Alaska brings to mind images of rugged landscapes and self-reliant adventurers. So, for this particular outing into the wilderness, I find it best to compartmentalize the moment when I was hastily slung like a sack of potatoes over another man's broad shoulders and carried briskly ashore. Didn't seem to bother him. Who needs waders?

Once we were all safely on the wind-swept shore, we were greeted by听two Forest Service rangers in faded-green rubber rain jackets. I was thrown for a moment when the words 鈥淲elcome to Admiralty!鈥� in a strong Australian accent came out of one of the woman's mouth. Being originally from South Africa myself, I guess I shouldn鈥檛 have been that surprised. The last truly wild places now draw adventure seekers from around the world.听

I had made this journey to Admiralty with my longtime friend, Dan Kirkwood of the , an experienced bear guide who had generously offered to host me in his Juneau home and show me around. It鈥檚 his job to keep wild places like this safe for future generations of Americans. Together, we would explore the island.听

Big Bears and Towering Trees

We drew our coats closer against the cold wind. The rocky beach soon gave way to a small, earthen bank and a natural amphitheater, walled by dark trees and focused on a 400-acre mudflat, a meandering stream at its heart blanketed by thick sedge grass along its banks: Pack Creek. This gateway between temperate rainforest and the waters of the Inside Passage is a natural rendezvous point for bears and salmon.听

The salmon need to fight up stream into the quiet rocky stream beds shaded by mature trees to spawn; the bears just need to be fed. At this particular moment, however, neither actor was making an appearance. Aside from a lone raven gliding overhead, its wing beats audible, the amphitheater was empty and quiet.听

The rangers quickly suggested we walk one of the nearby trails to another viewpoint further upstream.听

I鈥檝e been to a lot of places in the world that make a person feel small. Sweeping canyons, soaring mountain peaks. But coming to a halt in front of a massive lump of partially digested sedge grass鈥攖he remnants of a passing bear鈥攊n the middle of a claustrophobic trail walled in by gigantic tree trunks, I was struck by just such a sensation. The trees felt like pillars of a Greek temple, as if they held the clouds aloft. A land of giants.

Reaching the viewing platform, we reflected on the quiet beauty of this place. We waited, but the thought that we may have come too early in the year, beaten the salmon to the stream, seemed to push the possibility of seeing a bear further away. So we decided to head back to the shore.听

I was trailing behind Dan when we reached the mouth of the creek. Dan, crested on the bank with binoculars in hand, turned and flashed a smile. Just over the rise, about 200 yards from where we stood, grazed an awesome brown bear. The sight was fairly predictable, yet absolutely surreal. We watched the bear graze, paying little notice to our group sitting just a short distance away. Bears and humans have met at this point for sometime now, and each is gracious with the other.听

After some time, we hit the point where the plane that brought us needed to return to Juneau. The outgoing tide had removed a blanket of water and exposed a vast stretch of beach hundreds of yards wide. The wind had returned, and in the distance we spotted a large dark body. It was another bear taking advantage of the low tide, browsing through the daily buffet of clams. The distant bear turned to look in our direction and raised itself onto its hind feet. Its height and presence seemed to draw us closer.听

Reaching the plane, we were greeted by the smiling pilot. 鈥淩eady?鈥� he hollered. We nodded back in the affirmative, and said our goodbyes and thanks to the rangers. Then, one by one, we were slung over the shoulders of our pilot, a smile on our faces.

Get Out There

One million people visit southeast Alaska every year. Sadly, most are confined to crowded cruise ships and souvenir shops for the majority of their time in the last frontier. If you happen to find yourself in Juneau, hop on a float听plane (it's a 30-minute ride)听and get out there with a . Admiralty is truly a jewel among many in the Tongass, and your experience in this land of giants will be unforgettable.

A guide will source permits and can arrange transportation. If you wish to travel on your own, you should plan to ahead of time. The bear sanctuary is open from June 1 to September 10, but the best time to see bears season is during July and August. You can't stay overnight in the sanctuary, but you can camp, permit free, on the island itself, and there's even . Obviously should be practiced. Kayaking is hugely popular in the area, and there's great lakes and portage trails throughout. You can rent kayaks from .听

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Somewhere deep in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, a brown bear is feeling a little disoriented in his new home. For over two decades a single giant bear has dominated these tall peaks dividing Spain and France: Pyros. Now, a new contender has been introduced to try and shift the genetic balance of this vulnerable population. Who will succeed in this grizzly face off is anyone's guess.听

The Trouble With Dominant Bears

Pyros is getting rather long in the tooth. Now 27 years old, the almost seven-foot tall, 550-pound bruin was released into the Pyrenees mountains in 1997 after also being captured and transported from the wilds woods of Slovenia. Since then, his dominance over these snow-capped summits has been almost complete. Past contenders have either been too small, weak, or in one instance, even struck and killed by lightning before they could add any significant genetic diversity to the small population. Today, Pyros alone is the father, grandfather, or great-grandfather of almost all of the bears in these high mountains. He has fathered offspring with both his daughters听and granddaughters.听

In contrast to the other major bear population in Spain, inhabiting the Cantabrian mountains and currently standing at around 230 members, the central Pyrenean population is extremely small, with just over 30 individuals. It is so small, in fact, that every individual is given their own name. The success of such an isolated population depends heavily on genetic diversity.

Pyros isn鈥檛 the only male brown bear in the Pyrenees, but he is, by far the most successful of the 12 that live there. And all the others are either his progeny, or too weak to challenge his reign.听

Figuring out how to deal with such a successful individual has been a source of conflict amongst conservation authorities. Many have called for his castration, or even for his removal from the wild to allow other males to stand a chance at passing on their genes. Ultimately, the bold decision was made to bring in much needed fresh blood in the form of a new young male.听Once again, officials looked towards Slovenia as the source for bear, and after six attempts they finally found the one they were looking for. Enter the new heavyweight contender of the Pyrenees.听

Weighing in at over 450 pounds, the 10-year-old boar is a formidable beast indeed. Goiat, meaning 鈥渂achelor鈥� or 鈥測oung man鈥� in the local Catalan dialect, was captured and immediately transported the approximately 1,000 miles to the Pyrenees by road. After the long journey, on a rainy Monday evening with the clouds hanging low, the new bear came bursting out of his release cage, charging off with a huff into the dark timber. 听

L鈥橝lt Pirineu Natural Park, where Goiat has been released, is an extremely diverse environment including habitat such as Mediterranean forests all the way up to glacial lakes and alpine meadows. The park encompasses almost 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres), making it the largest protected area in Catalonia. Hidden amongst rock ptarmigan and pine covered slopes, Goiat should find a suitable home. 听

With any luck, that鈥檚 not all he will find. The hope is that the newcomer may just be able to break the 20-year dominance of Pryos. But听finding a mate and successfully producing cubs is never an easy affair for a bear.听

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UcrNpvkdzZ8

Here's Pyros, caught on a motion-sensor trail cam.听

Challenges Ahead

Goiat has been tagged and fitted with a GPS collar that will allow conservationists to minutely track his movements as he explores his new world. His release and overview of the population as a whole is thanks to the European Union-funded . Launched in 2014 and allocated a 鈧�2.4 million budget, the initiative aims to connect the fragmented bear population in the Pyrenees, as well as encourage acceptance and coexistence between bears and those who need to live alongside them. No easy feat in an area where sheep herding is a way of life for many.听

To foster peaceful coexistence, the project also hopes to prove that there can be a 鈥渮ero鈥� risk of attacks to livestock, an ambitious goal. To achieve it, they鈥檙e creating a shepherding school where students will learn about bear behavior, and how to avoid predation. Additional shepherds are being added to remote sheep herds in places where they bears are known to live, and those will be augmented by specially-trained guard dogs. Electric fencing is also being installed around commercial bee hives.听

Carnivores throughout Europe, from wolves to bears, are making a dramatic comeback, reoccupying areas that in some cases they have been absent from for centuries. Our ability to make room for these sharp-toothed creatures and allow them to play out their crucial roles in ecosystems is fundamental to restoring and protecting balance within our natural world.听

Whether the newcomer Goiat will be able to successfully compete with Pyros and produce cubs is yet to be seen. His arrival does spark renewed hope for a population of bears that desperately needs it. For now we can only watch and wait. Hopefully, in years to come, when Winters end and Spring arrives, cubs with a slightly more diverse lineage will come crawling out of their winter dens led by their mother to explore these magical mountains.

The post Can This Slovenian Import Fix Spain鈥檚 Bear Problem? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The principality of , located in the far north of Spain, is dramatic and hard country.听With mountains rising steeply from the coast, and bashed by cold winter storms rolling in from the Atlantic, the climate has more in common with parts of Siberia than the rest of the country. Culturally it is also very different. While chatting in a small pub, with the head of a wild boar hanging from the wall, one will often hear 鈥淎sturias is Spain; the rest is conquered territory,鈥� referring to the invasion of the Moors in times past.听

This stark terrain has also been a godsend for wildlife. Species that have long been lost from other parts of Europe have found sanctuary in these mountains鈥攆rom wolves to the Ice Age holdover, the . But perhaps one species above all has come to embody this landscape: the brown bear.听

While in North America the Great Plains once marked the eastern frontier for Urus arctos, the species鈥� westerly limit is Spain. The same grizzled bear that chases caribou through the Yukon also calls the broadleaf forests of the Cantabrian Mountains home. While bruins in the Yukon can weigh as little as 180 pounds, and Alaskan coastal bears as much as 1,500 pounds, Spanish bears are somewhere in the middle. Males usually tip the scales at around 300 pounds, with females 20-25 percent smaller. Forest rangers I spoke with mention seeing males weighing over 600 pounds.听

Regardless of weight, there is no such thing as a small brown bear.听

A Dictator and Neck Snares

In a mosaic landscape of forest, mountainside, and open pasture, bears here need to be adaptable. Some one million people call Asturias home. Part of a听hardy culture, the people here听have traditionally made their living by crawling deep into the earth to extract coal, or from raising the听cattle that graze their rich hillsides. But times have seldom been easy for bears or people here.听

The dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, from the end of the Spanish Civil War to his eventual death in 1975, was a time of general hardship and slow development for the country. Although this period caused some traditional agricultural practices to survive, it also led to harsh environmental policies and lack of protection for the species, which contributed to a steep decline in the bear population. Natural forests were turned into plantations, ski resorts were built, and poaching was rampant. Legal hunting of bears was even permitted until the late 1960s. With such sustained pressure, the population eventually fell to as few as 80 individuals. Finally, in 1973, the species was given protection.听

Today, they鈥檙e clawing their way back. The current population stands at more than 200 bears in the western Cantabrian Mountains, and over 30 in the eastern. There is also a population of bears in the Pyrenees鈥攁round 30 individuals鈥攚hich was reintroduced following their extinction in the region.听

With populations generally rising in the Cantabrian Mountains, these survivors still face pressure from development, habitat destruction, and poaching. Neck snares put out for wild boar frequently trap bears.听

The Fox and the Bear

Bears beat the earth when听they walk, sending a vibration radiating through the land. Sweet sap oozing from deep claw marks in the bark of a tree, a heaping scat in the middle of a forest lane; such signs, and their unseen presence are what turn a landscape from beautiful to electric. The presence of bears symbolizes a truly wild place.听

Earlier this year, a听very kind friend had generously allowed me to stay in his stone cabin in a small pueblo at the base of a mountain. Warmth in a foggy world. I woke early, the air quiet outside, and swung a tripod over my shoulder. Gravel underfoot filled my ears as I made my way to the car. I had a spot in mind to glass. Ten听yards from the car, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a large dark shape moving across an open field on the other side of our small valley. My heart quickened. I raised my binoculars and they were immediately filled with a bear. Slowly swaggering along, I noticed he wasn鈥檛 alone. Not two yards behind was a red fox, following a beast that easily outweighed him 30 times.听

Every few minutes the fox would approach the bear and nip at his heels. The bear in turn would swing round and charge the fox. A brown bear can kill a moose with a single swipe of its claws, so this was quite a daring act on the part of the听fox. The two made their way through grassy fields and forests of oak, repeating this dance for almost 30 minutes as I watched in amazement. Eventually the beat took them back into a dark thicket and I lost sight.听

I had never seen anything like this before. After asking a prominent biologist who has studied bears and wolves in this area for many years, he too had never seen a fox and bear interact in such a way. Our best guess was that the fox had a den in the area and simply wanted the bear gone.听

Over the next few days three more bears graced me with their presence. The mountains of Asturias are neither the remote Alaskan arctic nor the backcountry of Yellowstone. But that doesn鈥檛 matter, because where there are brown bears there is the wild. In these wild mountains, with the howl of the wolf and track of bear, the pulse of the country is thrilling. 听

A Strong Future

Brown bear populations are growing steadily, much of that rise due to the efforts of conservation organizations such as (FOP). Their work to reforest land, reduce poaching, as well as to facilitate compensation for farmers who have suffered damages caused by wolves and bears has greatly helped the population.听

I asked Guillermo Palomero, president of FOP, what would be his suggestion to outsiders considering coming to Spain to see the bear.听

鈥淭he north of Spain is rich in biodiversity, with welcoming people and a vibrant food culture,鈥� Palomero听describes. 鈥淏ring appropriate optics and the usual equipment to move in a mountain environment. It is important to choose the right dates; bears are more visible in April and May, or between August and September.鈥澨�

鈥淐antabrian bears live in a humanized environment and their proximity to villages and human activity is surprising,鈥� he continues. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a striking example of cohabitation.鈥�

Bears mean different things to different cultures. As I drove out of Asturias, along those same narrow winding roads I could not help but think that this place can serve as a lesson for conservation elsewhere. If the communities in this pastoral corner of Europe can live with a large bears wandering their woods, then so can others. People and large carnivores can co-exist, but we do need to make room for them and hold their presence in high regard. As Aldo Leopold , without the bear, 鈥渋t鈥檚 only a mountain now.”

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Whether you鈥檙e bird watching, navigating, or tracking, a quality set of binoculars听or a spotting scope听are essential. But听they can also be very expensive,听which, when you also consider all the听jargon surrounding these tools, can make them intimidating purchases. Let鈥檚 break through that听and teach you how to determine which device is right for you.听

Know the Terminology

Before you dive into the market, here are some terms that you need to understand. The terminology can be a little overwhelming, but hopefully this will give you a clearer picture of what each term means and why it matters.

Eye Relief

This is the distance that your eye can be from the exit pupil (where light exits the optics) and still give you听a complete image. The greater the length,听the more comfortable the viewing experience will be. For those who wear eyeglasses,听pay special attention to this detail as it can greatly affect your viewing experience. If the eye relief is too short,听it will听make viewing uncomfortable, if not impossible.听

Magnification

This is how much larger an object appears through your optics compared to the naked eye. Spotting scopes and even binoculars can have adjustable magnifications. When looking to buy binoculars or a spotting scope,听the first piece of information you'll see is something like this: 15-45×60. Everything before the 鈥渪鈥� is magnification, also referred to as power. In this case, the optics can be adjusted from 15 times larger than with the naked eye to 45 times greater. We鈥檒l get to what is on the other side of the 鈥渪鈥� next.听

Objective Lens Diameter

Using the example above, the 60 refers to the objective lens diameter (the lens at the front of your scope), measured in millimeters. This听is one indication of how bright your image will be, especially in low-light conditions. The larger the objective lens diameter,听the more light is gathered. For instance, with my Bushnell Elite 10×45 binoculars, objects appear brighter through the binoculars than with the naked eye. For anyone interested in observing wildlife, dawn and dusk are prime viewing hours. During these twilight moments,听you鈥檙e going to appreciate this detail. 听

Field of View

How much terrain can you see from one extreme of your view to the other at one kilometer? That鈥檚 your field of view. Usually expressed as feet/1000 yards听or meters/1000 meters. When glassing for animals,听the bigger the image,听the more likely you are to pick something out. Bear in mind that the greater the magnification,听the narrower your field of view.

Exit Pupil Diameter

Light travels through your optics, gets shaped and shifted, and finally leaves through the exit pupil as a beam of light. The size of this column is your exit-pupil diameter. The larger the column headed for your eye,听the brighter the image will be.听

Shortest Focal Distance (Close Focus)

Pretty self-explanatory, this is the closest object that you can focus your optics on. Those who are interested in watching butterflies or other objects that are relatively close should pay attention to this detail.

Prism System

When light enters binoculars or a scope,听the image is flipped upside down by the glass. A variety of tricks are used to rotate it again. Most binoculars and scopes today are constructed with a . Another common technique used in spotting scopes is a folded light path, which manipulates听light听with lenses and mirrors and thus听reduces the overall length of the optics. The quality of glass used in these techniques can affect the image produced.

Light Transmission

Normally expressed as a percentage,听this is the amount of light that your optics can take in without reflecting听or scattering it听as it heads toward your eye. The higher the percentage,听the better you'll see. Light transmission is improved through a number of ways, including coatings on the lens surface, which reduce reflection and glare.听

Diopter Adjustment

Our vision may differ significantly from one eye to the other. In order to compensate for this, binoculars will have a diopter adjustment. In general, it's听a good idea to look for models that can lock听your adjustment in place.听

Binoculars or Spotting Scope?

Now that you鈥檝e got the lingo down, how do you decide which optics are right for you? Here鈥檚 a breakdown.听

Binoculars

I never head into the field without my binoculars. I consider them to be an absolutely essential item for anyone interested in the outdoors. They will not only help you spot wildlife on a distant ridgeline, but also avoid danger and navigate through any given landscape.听

The classic magnification and objective lens diameter of full-size field binoculars is around 8×42 or 10×42. This gives you a large light gathering objective lens to illuminate your image and strong magnification.听Don鈥檛 go for anything with a smaller objective lens or magnification unless you really need something compact鈥攖he sacrifices in brightness and detail are听too great. The decision on whether to go for 8x or 10x magnification is up to you. As a rule, the greater the magnification,听the more difficult it is to stabilize the image. Some prefer eight power over 10 simply because they can鈥檛 keep the image still. Personally, I鈥檝e never found that to be a problem and the benefits of having that extra magnification听are significant, so听long as you don鈥檛 mind the reduced field of view. Many birdwatchers tend to prefer eight power.听

The rule when buying optics is to purchase the best glass you can afford. Investing in a quality pair of binoculars will not only improve your viewing experience but will also give you a tool that should last a lifetime.听

Look into Bushnell or Leupold for optics that are high quality but fairly affordable. Both of these companies make quality glass and stand by their outstanding warranties. I would highly recommend the . With this pair,听you get Bushnell鈥檚 highest quality glass with a rugged rubberized magnesium build. Tough as nails, they feel great in hand and provide excellent views even in the worst of conditions. From Leupold, check out their range.听

If you鈥檝e got more cash to spend, here are a couple of choices. While you won鈥檛 necessarily miss any of the high-end features of the more expensive models when using the previously recommended binos, you鈥檒l notice the difference. If you鈥檙e going to drop over a grand,听I strongly recommend focusing on Swarovski and Leica. The 10×42 and 10×42 make excellent choices, providing the finest glass available with a superb听build quality. Although I own neither brand, I have spent a significant amount of time glassing through both in Arctic Alaska looking for caribou and moose. The clear image from edge to edge as well as the uncompromising design is impressive.听

Spotting Scopes

While binoculars are essential for any outdoorsman, spotting scopes are an added advantage. Binoculars can be used on the move and are extremely versatile. Spotting scopes on the other hand are much larger, requiring you to stop and take a better look at what you鈥檙e interested in. Hunters, birdwatchers,听and听enthusiastic wildlife watchers听will find spotting scopes to be very useful, even if they are cumbersome.听

Spotting scope models are typically around 15-45×60 or 20-60×80. Take the 15-45×60:听this means the scope has a minimum magnification of 15x and a maximum of 45x. That sort of glassing power gives you the ability to not only听spot a deer on a distant hillside,听but also to count the number of tines he鈥檚 carrying. Being able to take the magnification down to 15x (as opposed to 20x) also allows you to glass terrain with a听larger field of view before zooming in on a specific target.听

The eyepiece can also be angled or straight. An angled eyepiece allows for a more comfortable viewing experience but can make it difficult to locate an animal that you've听spotted with your binoculars. For this reason, I would typically recommend that hunters choose a straight eyepiece for its ability to quickly and easily locate your target.听

I typically carry the . Although a little unconventional in its design (especially for digiscoping, which we鈥檒l talk about), this scope offers听fantastic image quality, a tough exterior, and is light enough to take听on long hikes. For those who don鈥檛 need a scope that light,听I would recommend the . Both are affordable and well made.听

Moving up in price, check out the or . These scopes will last forever and provide the best views possible. For a more compact scope, check out the .

Accessories

Digiscoping

Inevitably, you鈥檙e going to want to share the cool things that you鈥檙e seeing. That鈥檚 where digiscoping comes in, allowing you to take pictures through your binoculars or spotting scope. Head over to and pick up one of its awesome kits. It will allow you to easily attach almost any smartphone to your binoculars or scope and get great images from the phone to share with your mates. Trust me, you want this.听

Tripod

Essential for spotting scopes and handy for binoculars, tripods can be your optics' best friend. We like听these models available at .听

The post How to See Better: A Guide to Buying Glass appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Late last year, I was hiking in northern Spain when, just before sunset, I spotted a massive animal that I didn't think existed on this continent: a bison. What was it doing here, in a country that never knew the Wild West?听

鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 know about nature in Europe,鈥� says听Frans听Schepers, the Managing Director of Rewilding Europe, an organization devoted to returning wildlife and wild places to the continent. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 know that we even have a European bison. And, in Europe, it is our largest land mammal. This is something maybe we could say to European conservation organizations; we鈥檙e not selling our story well enough.鈥�

Like in North America, the bison here were hunted to the very brink of extinction. But just as reintroduction efforts began in America during the late 1920s, the last few wild bison were being shot by hungry troops in Europe's forests. Reintroduction efforts here are still in their infancy. But on a continent with far higher population density,听where will newly wild European bison live? Frans sees an answer in Europe's increasingly abandoned farmland.

This is the story of the European Bison.

A Beast Almost Lost and Mostly Forgotten

European bison, also known as “wisent,” are . With adult males tipping the scales at up to 2,000 pounds and standing taller than its American cousins (six feet and more at the shoulder), they are the largest terrestrial mammals in Europe. Bulls can eat up to 130 pounds of fresh food a day and the animals' diet consists of over 200 different plants鈥攂oth grazed and browsed. European bison (Bison bonasus) and the American bison (Bison bison)听are close relatives, descending from a common ancestor that is thought to have evolved out of Central Asia. But while the evolutionary track of one went east, crossing the Bering Strait into North America, the other spread west into Eurasia.听

Through their feeding, wanderings and lifecycle, they have the potential to improve soil quality, spread seeds, open dense vegetation to sunlight, and when they die, release an abundance of nutrients back into the ecosystem. Wolves, bears, birds, and every other member of the forest and meadow community can potentially benefit from their existence on the landscape.听

But the past has not been kind to these great bovines. As human populations grew on the continent and development increased, European bison were increasingly pushed towards the edge of extinction. By the 19th century there were only remaining in the wild:听one in Poland and the other in the western Caucasus Mountains. With World War I pushing hungry troops deep into the forest, and poaching rampant, both were made extinct in the wild听by 1927. But听a handful survived as royal gifts that had been given away over time to zoological gardens around Europe, with the ultimate number of remaining bison totaling just 54. 听

These surviving few were entered into a careful breeding program, which began to increase the population while maintaining as much genetic diversity as possible; much of this work taking place behind the Iron Curtain. For a time, the Nazi party even adopted the bison as .听

With the end of World War II and the close of the Cold War, a new era of international cooperation began. Today, information on each individual animal has since been documented through the to help in enhancing breeding efforts. Currently there are more than 200 breeding centers around Europe and the current population stands at over 5,000 as well as being listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List. Starting in the 1950s, reintroduction efforts began to slowly take shape with the largest wild population now living in the of Poland and Belarus, having over 900 individuals.听

That being said, here鈥檚 a stark fact: there are still fewer European bison left roaming the wild than there are black rhinos in Africa.听

The New Wild

After decades of lackluster conservation efforts surrounding this species, stepped in. Established in 2011 from the Netherlands, the foundation aims to bring real wilderness back to Europe, supporting and finding the conservation of wildlife, and the reclamation of abandoned farm land for natural habitats.听With land abandonment becoming increasingly common in rural Europe as farming becomes less profitable and people are drawn to cities, opportunity is rising for conservation and restoration efforts to bring back not only iconic species, but also to introduce new sources of income to rejuvenate these regions. It's the organization's goal to “rewild” 100 million hectares (3,681 square miles)听of Europe by 2022.听听Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe, took the time to speak with me about their work and bison.听

鈥淭he whole of Europe is changing; everything is changing.听Socioeconomically, demographically, politically, you name it,鈥� says Frans. 鈥淣ature has to also cope with those changes and remain relevant for European society. And it is relevant for European society, because it is our natural heritage and it is something we live on and depend on.鈥�

Rewilding Europe has launched to get these animals back onto the landscape, with Romania becoming a showcase. On May 17, 2014, 听there, becoming the first of their kind to roam these mountains in over 250 years. Over the next five-year period Rewilding Europe, along with WWF-Romania, plans to release a total of 100 bison into the southern Carpathian Mountains, creating what is hoped will be a viable and free roaming population. Last year, their efforts were vindicated as the European Commission , providing critical funding for future releases, infrastructure,听and work with local communities.听

With this success comes the challenge of bringing awareness to the general public on the wild that Europe has to offer. 鈥淗ow can you love something, or even vote for it, if you don鈥檛听know it exists? So the awareness about what Europe has to offer is priority number one,鈥� Frans continues. 鈥淩ewilding is not going back to the past. We鈥檙e looking for wild nature in a modern, 21st century, Europe. There are huge opportunities and possibilities for that.鈥�

In addition to assisting with efforts to reintroduce the bison, Rewilding Europe is also trying to create habitats and breeding programs for wild horses, and aims to “back breed” modern cattle to bring back the aurochs, the ancestor to all modern cattle.听

Looking Ahead

On that winter's evening, standing in the middle of a muddy track, it was at a breeding center, while walking the perimeter fence of their 20-hectare enclosure, that I stumbled upon the lone bull bison. Due to its size and wooded habitat, the in Palencia, Spain, does not guarantee its visitors a sighting, but opts for a more natural setting where the handful of bison can roam through meadows and forest at will.

As I toured the reserve and facilities over the days that followed, it was impossible not to feel a sense of hope for the future of wild Europe. Bringing back a species like the bison means more than just ecological or economic benefits. It means the return of wild environments, wild creatures, and the ecosystems they support and require. It means more wild areas across more of Europe.听I can only hope that the next bison I see isn鈥檛 behind an electric fence.

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I'm excited. My shirt is soaked in sweat, my lungs are burning, and my feet are aching. An hour into a climb up a steep wooded hillside, winding my way off trail through tall pines, it feels like the night before Christmas. Strapped to a tree a mile higher up is the prize. Having sat quietly for two weeks, it has stayed vigilant, eyes focused for any sign of movement.

I鈥檓 headed to pick up my camera trap.听

It's fascinating to think about what's roaming the woods, and no matter how much time we spend in the field, the information that can be gathered from a camera trap (or听trail camera) is immense. Many of my mornings and evenings are spent sitting quietly beneath a tree, binoculars in hand, watching for signs of life. When I鈥檓 not there, my camera is.听Whether you鈥檙e a hunter, biologist, or just want to know more about the local wildlife, a camera trap will听open a window into a hidden world.听

What Is a Camera Trap?

The basic components of a modern camera trap are a听camera, a sensor (such as a听听one), a flash, a strap to attach the trap to an anchor point, and a power supply鈥攁ll of which is housed in a sturdy, weatherproof casing. Features, as well as price, go up from there. The traps are听designed to听photograph everything from small mice moving through the underbrush to a cougar high up听a snow-capped mountain. While collecting image data, the听cameras also store other valuable pieces of information, such as time, date, temperature, and moon phase.听

In the past, trail cameras were triggered by听 that animals would trip when they crossed the paths. Today remote camera trapping is a good deal more sophisticated, thanks to听the development of digital photography and听heat and motion sensors. And, due听mostly to听 and , there's听now enough consumer demand for these devices that they've become听affordable.听

Which One Should I Buy?听

There are lots of听companies making听camera traps, whose听features and quality vary tremendously. That said, I do have my favorites, in particular the models from听Bushnell听and听Reconyx. If you鈥檙e just getting started,听. It鈥檚 eight-megapixel camera makes听fairly sharp听images, and it can shoot听HD video. It has 32 black听LEDs听for night vision. It runs for听up to one year on a single set of batteries. (All听the camera trap images in this article were captured with this model.)

If you have a bit more money to spend, check out听($594). It has a few smart听upgrades, including听no-glow infrared illumination and a higher-quality build, that, while not essential, are听nice to have.

For either trap, you'll want as large a memory card as it'll accept,听as video takes up a lot of space, as well as high-quality听lithium batteries. Also, keep this in mind: once you get one, you鈥檙e going to want another one.听While you鈥檙e at it, pick up a lock, like the听听and a cable, like听. You'll want to听lock听the camera body听and secure it to a large tree.听

Placement

So you have your听camera trap. Now you have to figure out where to put it, which depends听on what you're looking to capture and where you're based.听

Terrain is often the determining factor when听placing听a trap. Look at a topographic map of the area you're听interested in investigating, and then compare that to satellite imagery. Is there a fairly level, sheltered path up against an impassable area such as a cliff听or rocky outcrop? Sounds like a pretty good spot to check out. Look for features that funnel wildlife (such as river crossings) along a certain route and past听a specific point. Remember that the actual range of your camera trap is limited by the sensitivity of the sensor and the reach of the flash鈥攜ou听want an animal to听walk right by the camera in order to get a good shot.听

If you have a target species in mind, say whitetail deer, you need to think a little harder before setting the camera. Where do the animals听feed, where do they bed, and how do they get from one place to another? Time of year, availability of food, local disturbance, and population dynamics all play a role in deciding where to place your trap. Read up on your species, talk to people in the area, and immerse yourself in the world of any given animal.

As a rule, placing a camera along well-traveled routes听or at feeding sites is your best bet. Spots along remote logging roads and听human trails can yield good results, too:听animals find it easier to travel听along these open paths than through brush.听Find an animal trail leading to a likely feeding spot, check out how high the overhanging brush is, and that will give you an indication of the tallest animal that could pass that way鈥攖he trap should be a little lower than that height. Look for a good tree听to attach your trap, then mount it and be patient. The more time you let pass between checking your camera and moving it to another spot, the more likely you are to get gold. Some species, particularly predators, travel large distances and it may take some time before they visit one spot a second time.听

If you're听lucky enough to have a member of Canis lupus听stroll听down your chosen path, without a lure, he isn鈥檛 going to exactly pose for the camera. More often than not,听an animal will come trotting by, not slowing down one bit as it passes the lens. So听you need the camera to be angled in such a way as to give you the most exposure time, both for the sensor to trigger, but also to get the animal in the shot for the maximum amount of time. Positioning your camera at approximately a 45-degree angle facing the path is your best bet. The placement height depends on the anchor, the sensor, the size of the target species, and nearby vegetation.

Some high-end cameras have a built-in听image preview function, but if yours doesn't,听just听bring along a handheld camera, tablet, or laptop, and spend a few minutes walking around in front of the lens, reviewing the images and听then adjusting the shot.听

Remember: you are not the only person wandering around in the woods, so try to make your trap as inconspicuous as possible. And know听that your presence alters the world you pass through. Take care to disturb the environment as little as possible.听

Attractants

The ethics and legality of using attractants, baits (food), and lures (scents) to bring wildlife into range of your camera trap vary tremendously. I will happily place my camera next to a carcass that I find deep in the woods, but I prefer not to use any artificial lures. They do, however, work. Check your local regulations and听start by contacting your state's Fish and Game听department.

There are many commercial lures available online, which are normally derived from animal urine or scent glands of creatures such as mink and beaver. The same way that a hunter will use doe urine to bring a buck to his treestand or a trapper will use beaver castor to snare a wolf, these lures will stop animals in front of your camera. Areas where an animal鈥攕uch as a mink鈥攎arks in the wild can bring in a wide range of critters, too.听

And if听you happen to have jaguars in your neck of the woods, you can always go with a Calvin Klein fragrance.听

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