Spatially explicit genetic capture-recapture data from black bears in Ontario, Canada

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources samples black bear (Ursus americanus) DNA at baited barbed wire hair corrals on multiple independent study areas in Ontario, Canada, annually since 2017 (except in 2020 and 2021). Spatially explicit capture-recapture data from surveys conducted since 2017 are archived here. This data set will be cited in manuscripts presenting analyses of the entire data set or subsets thereof. Methods The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources sampled black bear DNA at baited barbed wire hair corrals on multiple independent study areas in Ontario, Canada, annually since 2017. Wire height (~50 cm) was intended to exclude dependent offspring (bears aged 0 and 1 years) from the sample. Sampling took place over 5 weekly sampling occasions in spring and early summer (except that sampling on ShirleyLakeRd in 2019 was extended by two weeks for a total of 7 occasions). Individuals and their sex were identified from microsatellite genotypes to 15 loci to generate encounter histories.