On their website, Oswald's Bear Ranch quotes a Native American thought about bears. "The bear is a symbol of courage and bravery. Many indigenous (native) cultures have great respect for "Bear". Legends speak of a time when people shared caves with their "Brother Bear". The Spirit of Bear usually comes offering healing, nurturing, strength, protection, and wisdom." Though Dean Oswald does not get into the more philosophical and spiritual aspects of bears, it is very apparent he loves and admires them.
For over 30 years Dean Oswald has associated with bears. "I bought my first cub in Neosho, Wisconsin in 1983-1984," Oswald recalls. Back then, it was legal to buy a bear. Ever since then, he continued to buy and adopt cubs, bottle feeding them to maturity. "People kept coming by to see them and eventually in 1997 we put up a gate and started a bear ranch."
Now, Oswald says that in the 4 months per year that they are open, the ranch gets over 20,000 cars alone that drive in. People come from all over the world to see the bears. "It's surprising how many people from around the world come here," Oswald says, "Just the other day some people from Ireland came here." The price points reasonable. It's $20 to come in with a car, $10 for an individual, and $10 for a chance to take a picture and pet a cub. An important note - it is cash or check only with no ATM available.
“Oswald's property and its environment has become a place of rescue where bears can roam in their large habitats and live a comfortable life.” [Photo Credit: Oswald's Bear Ranch]
The bears that are at the bear ranch are all black bears. Black bears are smaller than grizzlies and numerous throughout the United States - from the far north in Michigan and Maine, to the far reaches of Florida and Arizona. They are fast, tree climbers, who are also able to swim - perhaps contributing to their ability to adapt to a wide variety of landscapes and situations.
Despite these skills, black bear populations have been declining in the Upper Peninsula. "There used to be a lot up here, but now there are too many hunters, too many wolves," Oswald says. It is legal to hunt black bears throughout the United States; although, like other game, there are restrictions on how many bears can be hunted each year, depending on the state. There has been debate about how to hunt bears, particularly in regards to using a bait technique (luring a bear into an area with food and then shooting it) vs. open range hunting. An interesting article on the topic, compares both sides in Maine and finally the writer, Dave Mance III, comes to the conclusion that , “I like fair chase hunting. Hunting a bear on a wild mountain ridge seems like a richer experience than luring one in with food scraps.” Especially because he is not hunting because he needs the meat. However, he says, "I’m not going to judge someone who does bait where it’s legal. Someone who does need the meat. Someone who does derive enjoyment from interacting with nature this way."
Debates aside, Oswald often helps with the more humane side of dealing with the bear population. "We rescue bears for a variety of reasons nowadays. For example, if the cubs' mother gets hit by a car, or poachers get her, or a den is disturbed," Oswald says, "Sometimes if a cub is being sold to a certain zoo, I'll put a bid in." Oswald says that he does not have much of a problem with zoos (they are accredited by ZAA - Zoological Association of America), but, "A bear pacing a concrete 20 by 20 enclosure its whole life is an awful way to live."
So do the bears ever attack? “I never worry about the bears turning,” Oswald says, “I can go into any of our habitats (there are 4), but I wouldn’t bring you in with me. I have bottle-fed these cubs since they were babies. They are also jealous in a lot of ways.” Other traits Oswald has noticed through the years are that the bears have very distinct personalities and a hierarchy in their relationships with each other. “The mothers are much tougher on the young bears than the fathers,” he says. They have good eyesight, despite what is said about them, and their intelligence is about at the same intelligence as a dog. They lack the loyalty trait of a dog, though (which probably contributes to its survival and lack of domestication), but occasionally a cub will be more loyal than others. “There are a few I can call and they will come over and sit next to me, but overall they are not that affectionate,” he says, “I’d say it’s about 1 in a 100.”
Being able to walk safely close to a black bear and actually touch one is a very unique experience. Many visitors comment on how the bears seem happy and well-taken care of, as well as the experience that one could not get anywhere else. It is a place to appreciate wildlife and nature. To quote John Muir, Father of the National Parks, “Bears are made of the same dust as we, breathe the same winds and drink of the same waters. A bear's days are warmed by the same sun, his dwellings are over-domed by the same blue sky, his life turns and ebbs with the heart-pulsing like ours and was poured from the same fountain.”