Trade in the guitar for hiking boots? That’s exactly what Blake Shelton did when he surprised everyone by teaming up with Oklahoma wildlife researchers to study bear cubs in the wild. Dressed in flannel and curiosity, the country star joined a field team deep in the woods to help track, monitor, and gently observe the growing bear population. Photos of Shelton cradling a sleepy cub while grinning ear-to-ear have already melted the internet. It’s a side of the singer fans rarely see — less stage lights, more starlight — and it’s as heartwarming as it is unexpected.

Blake Shelton recently spent a day in the great outdoors of Eastern Oklahoma dedicating his time to a special research project involving black bears.

As the Board Director of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Shelton was joined by researchers with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and Oklahoma State Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, who collected data from bear cubs in the area.

According to the OWCF, Shelton watched on as bear biologists recorded weight, chest girth, sex and any distinguishing marks from a bear cub and also tagged him with a tracker (similiar to a microchip) so that researchers can continue to study the bear as he or she grows.

The group quickly returned the bear to its den to be with its mother, who they also track with a tracking collar.

Researchers in the area have been contributing to the black bear project for two decades.

Shelton took time for a photo opp with the adorable cub while on site.

The country superstar recently released his latest single, “Minimum Wage.” The music video was filmed by his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Todd Stefani, at Ole Red in Shelton’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

Although Shelton spends quite a bit of time in Los Angeles with his fiancée, he returns to his native Oklahoma often. Last fall, the award-winning artist invited foster children to join him for a day of fishing on his Oklahoma property in partnership with Fostering Outdoor Oklahoma Families, a program designed to introduce foster children and their families to the outdoors.