Black bears: The most common bear in North America

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What states do black bears live in the us

Black bears can be found in almost all states in the United States of America, but there are some states that bears do not live. I wanted to find out where the best places in each state were to see bears, so I put together this guide. There are an estimated , black bears in the U. Hawaii has no black bears. If you want to find out the best place to see black bears in your state or in another state that you are visiting, then please read on to find out where to go, the best time of year to go, and the best way to stay safe whilst viewing these great animals.

If you or someone you know loves bears then check out these great bear gifts on Amazon by clicking here. Two groups of black bears can be found in Alabama. These bears are believed to have come from Northwest Georgia. The second group is a larger group of 85 bears, and these are in Mobile and Washington counties in Southwest Alabama. There have also been other sightings around the State, indicating that populations are rising. Find out where you can see brown bears in this article I wrote.

There are an estimated , black bears in Alaska. Black bears occur in most forested areas, from high alpine regions to sea level, depending on the season. They are also not found on some of the larger islands of the Gulf of Alaska, such as Montague, Hinchinbrook, Kodiak, and others.

They are also absent from the Alaska Peninsula of the Lake Iliamna area. Black bears occur all over the Southeastern mainland of Alaska. Want to find out if bears can climb trees? Find out here.

The black bear is the only type of bear in Arizona and has an estimated population of 2, — 3, Most live in forested regions of the state, including forests outside Flagstaff and down to Sedona and Prescott.

In the Southeast of Arizona, black bears are found in Mt. Arkansas was once known as the bear state, but by the s, it was estimated that less than 50 black bears remained in the State. With the reintroduction of black bears into Arkansas between and and regulated hunting and habitat improvement, the black bear population has risen to over 3, animals.

They can be found in three main places in Arkansas. The population of bears in the White River Basin is smaller and cut off from integrating with the other bears in the State. With an estimated 35, bears in California, the population had increased significantly since when there were just 10, — 15, bears in the State.

There are two subspecies of black bears in California, the Northwestern black bear and the California black bear. There are three subpopulations of black bears in California. There are two National Parks in this region, and over two-thirds of the habitat is cared for by the U. Forest Service. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of the California black bear population inhabits this region.

There are an estimated 19, black bears in Colorado, up from an estimated 12, in the early s. The black bear is rare throughout most of Connecticut but can be found in Hartford and Lichfield Counties, which are in the Northwestern and North Central areas. Black bears have also been seen as far South as Greenwich. There are an estimated black bears in the State. There were over reported sightings in from of the States towns. There are very few black bears living in Delaware, with the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife not mentioning them on their website.

There have been a few sightings in the State, including in New Castle County and along the Delaware water gap. Approximately 4, black bears live in Florida, and they have been seen in nearly every part of Florida, ranging from the West Panhandle to the North, through the big bend, and down to the South.

There are smaller populations between bears that live in the Chassahowitzka NWR. Depending on the time of year, the black bear will range over the entire state in search of food or their territory. There are approximately 5, black bears with about in the Central region.

There are approximately 20, black bears in the State of Idaho. Their habitat ranges mostly North of the Snake River plain, over 30, square miles.

Due to the lack of food in Idaho, their habitat has to be larger than most States. Black bears were once common in Illinois but have been eliminated from the state since the s. Presently, this species of bears are protected by the Illinois wildlife conservatory under the Animal protection act of There is no ample population of Black bears in Illinois. Still, there is a good potential for migratory bears from Wisconsin and Missouri to travel into the state.

Black bears are rare in the state of Indiana and, most of the time, migrating through the state. They were reported to have been seen in and again in the year According to reports from the Department of Natural Resource Biologist in Indiana, there are currently no black bears. Before the s, Blacks bears were prevalent in the state of Iowa. The black bear was often considered a pest, which caused the total termination by hunters and agricultural practices.

In the late s, black bears were extirpated from Kansas. In recent years, there have been no sightings of these animals. You can find out which National Parks you can see bears here. Kentucky bears feast on spring wheat. They were believed to have come into the state from New Mexico or Colorado. There are an estimated black bears in the state of Kentucky. With Texas to the west, Mississippi to the east, Arkansas to the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the South, Louisiana is similar in that not many black bears live there.

Under the U. Although Maine is the 12th smallest state, there are several thousand black bears in Maine. They are mostly found in the north and Eastern part of the state. In the central and southern regions, they are rare.

In the s, the popularity of bear hunting increased. In , an estimated six to nine thousand bears were stated as the population in the state.

In , a total of 18, bears was estimated. A year later, the population increased to 21, bears. By , there were estimated to be 22,, bears in Maine. The state shares border with Virginia, Delaware, Washington D. The population size of the black bear was estimated in the year The estimate was estimated at subadult and adult bears. There has been a high population of black bears in Massachusetts since the s.

Blacks bear presence in the state is over 4, Michigan is the tenth most populous state in the US. In the northern part of Michigan, about 15, — 19, black bears are seen roaming the conifer and hardwood forest. In Michigan, bears enter into their dens by December and come out of dens in early April. They leave their dens for only a short period when disturbed.

Currently, the population of adult black bears in Michigan is estimated at 14, The upper peninsula has almost 11, black bears, while the northern lower Peninsula has 3, black bears. The population of black bears in Minnesota is between 12,, Due to the large populations, every year, Minnesota hunters harvest almost 3, black bears.

Hunting license sales for bears are usually restricted to maintain the population size of bears in the state. Bears are found mainly in the Northern forested areas. Some bears are in Washington and Anoka counties, which make up the northern and eastern parts of the state.

However, they can be found in the southern, western, and northern parts of the state, with bears being drawn to the South by farm crops. In urban areas, it is not easy to see wild bears. However, bears have been seen in Hudson, Maplewood, Woodbury, and along the St.

Croix River. In Mississippi, most of the bears are found along with the Pearl, Pascagoula, and Mississippi river drainages. Years ago, there was a vast population of black bears in Mississippi. However, only black bears present in the state currently. There are to black bears currently present in Missouri. You can find most black bears on the South of the Missouri River, although a few bears can be found in the northern counties.

The black bear is the largest wild mammal in the state. Surrounded by twenty-six thousand bears in Canada, fifteen thousand bears in British Columbia and seven hundred bears in Alberta, Montana gets migratory bears through the state. The Canadian bears possess the ability to inject their gene flow into the population in Montana.

You will find bears in the Glacier and Yellowstone national park areas.

What states do black bears live in the us

Cubs squeal, bawl or scream when anxious and make a motor-like humming sound when comfortable or nursing. Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3 to 5 years, [46] with those living in more developed areas tending to get pregnant at younger ages. The breeding period lasts for two to three months. Both sexes are promiscuous. Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near.

The fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in the female's womb until November. The gestation period lasts days and litters are usually born in late January to early February. Litter size is between one and six cubs, typically two or three.

They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28—40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks.

Cubs are dependent on their mother's milk for 30 weeks and will reach independence at 16—18 months. At the age of 6 weeks, they attain g 2. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years and attain their full growth at the age of 5 years.

In such scenarios, the big cat would have the advantage if it ambushed the bear, killing it with a crushing bite to the back of the skull. Known predators of bear cubs have included bobcats , coyotes , cougars , gray wolves, brown bears and other bears of their own species.

There is a single record of a golden eagle snatching a yearling cub. However, in current times, American black bear fatalities are mainly attributable to human activities. Seasonally, thousands of American black bears are hunted legally across North America to control their numbers, while some are illegally poached or trapped unregulated.

Auto collisions also may claim many American black bear lives annually. American black bears were once not considered true or "deep" hibernators , but because of discoveries about the metabolic changes that allow American black bears to remain dormant for months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating, most biologists have redefined mammalian hibernation as "specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather".

American black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators. Understanding the physiology of bears in the wild is vital to the bear's success in captivity. The bears enter their dens in October and November, although in the southernmost areas of their range i. Florida, Mexico, the Southeastern United States , only pregnant females and mothers with yearling cubs will enter hibernation. Hibernation in American black bears typically lasts 3—8 months, depending on regional climate.

Hibernating American black bears spend their time in hollowed-out dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts and in shallow depressions. Although naturally made dens are occasionally used, most dens are dug out by the bear itself. During their time in hibernation, an American black bear's heart rate drops from 40 to 50 beats per minute to 8 beats per minute and the metabolic rate can drop to a quarter of the bear's nonhibernating basal metabolic rate BMR.

These reductions in metabolic rate and heart rate do not appear to decrease the bear's ability to heal injuries during hibernation. Their circadian rhythm stays intact during hibernation.

This allows the bear to sense the changes in the day based on the ambient temperature caused by the sun's position in the sky. It has also been shown that ambient light exposure and low disturbance levels that is to say, wild bears in ambient light conditions directly correlate with their activity levels. The hibernating American black bear does not display the same rate of muscle and bone atrophy relative to other nonhibernatory animals that are subject to long periods of inactivity due to ailment or old age.

The bear's bone mass does not change in geometry or mineral composition during hibernation, which implies that the bear's conservation of bone mass during hibernation is due to a biological mechanism. The retention of waste during hibernation specifically in minerals such as calcium may play a role in the bear's resistance to atrophy.

If the winter is mild enough, they may wake up and forage for food. Females also give birth in February and nurture their cubs until the snow melts. Many of the physiological changes an American black bear exhibits during hibernation are retained slightly post-hibernation.

Upon exiting hibernation, bears retain a reduced heart rate and basal metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of a hibernating bear will remain at a reduced level for up to 21 days after hibernation. In mountainous areas, they seek southerly slopes at lower elevations for forage and move to northerly and easterly slopes at higher elevations as summer progresses.

The time that American black bears emerge from hibernation varies. Factors affecting this include temperature, flooding, and hunger. In southern areas, they may wake up in midwinter. Further north, they may not be seen until late March, April, or even early May. Altitude also has an effect. Bears at lower altitudes tend to emerge earlier.

Finally, mature males tend to come out earliest, followed by immature males and females, and lastly mothers with cubs. Mothers with yearling cubs are seen before those with newborns. Generally, American black bears are largely crepuscular in foraging activity, though they may actively feed at any time. As the spring temperature warms, American black bears seek new shoots of many plant species, especially new grasses , wetland plants and forbs.

During the autumn hyperphagia , feeding becomes virtually the full-time task of American black bears. Hard masts become the most important part of the American black bear's diet in autumn and may even partially dictate the species' distribution.

Favored masts such as hazelnuts , oak acorns and whitebark pine nuts may be consumed by the hundreds each day by a single American black bear during the fall. These include refuse , birdseed , agricultural products and honey from apiaries. The majority of the American black bear's animal diet consists of insects , such as bees , yellow jackets , ants and their larvae. Once the hive is breached, the bears will scrape the honeycombs together with their paws and eat them, regardless of stings from the bees.

As the fawns reach 10 days of age, they can outmaneuver the bears and their scent is soon ignored until the next year. Predation on adult deer is rare, but it has been recorded. In Labrador , American black bears are exceptionally carnivorous, living largely off caribou , usually young, injured, old, sickly or dead specimens, and rodents such as voles. This is believed to be due to a paucity of edible plant life in this sub-Arctic region and a local lack of competing large carnivores including other bear species.

Once a deer fawn is captured, it is frequently torn apart alive while feeding. American black bears often drag their prey to cover, preferring to feed in seclusion. The skin of large prey is stripped back and turned inside out, with the skeleton usually left largely intact. Unlike gray wolves and coyotes, American black bears rarely scatter the remains of their kills.

Vegetation around the carcass is usually matted down by American black bears and their droppings are frequently found nearby. American black bears may attempt to cover remains of larger carcasses, though they do not do so with the same frequency as cougars and grizzly bears. Over much of their range, American black bears are assured scavengers that can intimidate, using their large size and considerable strength, and if necessary dominate other predators in confrontations over carcasses.

However, on occasions where they encounter Kodiak or grizzly bears, the larger two brown subspecies dominate them.

American black bears tend to escape competition from brown bears by being more active in the daytime and living in more densely forested areas. Violent interactions, resulting in the deaths of American black bears, have been recorded in Yellowstone National Park. American black bears do occasionally compete with cougars over carcasses. Like brown bears, they will sometimes steal kills from cougars. As a result, the cats spend more time killing and less time feeding on each kill. American black bear interactions with gray wolves are much rarer than with brown bears, due to differences in habitat preferences.

The majority of American black bear encounters with wolves occur in the species' northern range, with no interactions being recorded in Mexico. Despite the American black bear being more powerful on a one-to-one basis, packs of wolves have been recorded to kill black bears on numerous occasions without eating them. Unlike brown bears, American black bears frequently lose against wolves in disputes over kills.

There is at least one record of an American black bear killing a wolverine Gulo gulo in a dispute over food in Yellowstone National Park. At least one jaguar Panthera onca has been recorded to have attacked and eaten a black bear: "El Jefe", the jaguar famous for being the first jaguar seen in the United States in over a century.

American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America's indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit , while the grizzly bear was created by the Evil Spirit. Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is named after a Native American legend, where a female bear and her two cubs swam across Lake Michigan in order to escape a fire on the Wisconsin shore.

The mother bear reached the shore and waited for her cubs, but they did not make it across. Two islands mark where the cubs drowned, while the dune marks the spot where the mother bear waited. Morris Michtom , the creator of the teddy bear , was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot an American black bear cub tied to a tree.

Terrible Ted was a de-toothed and de-clawed American black bear who was forced to perform as a pro wrestler and whose "career" lasted from the s to the s.

The American black bear is the mascot of the University of Maine and Baylor University , where the university houses two live American black bears on campus. Although an adult bear is quite capable of killing a human, American black bears typically avoid confronting humans. Unlike grizzly bears , which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled.

American black bears rarely attack when confronted by humans and usually only make mock charges, emit blowing noises and swat the ground with their forepaws. The number of attacks on humans is higher than those by brown bears in North America, but this is largely because black bears considerably outnumber brown bears.

Compared to brown bear attacks, aggressive encounters with American black bears rarely lead to serious injury. Most American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting.

Unlike female brown bears, female American black bears are not as protective of their cubs and rarely attack humans in the vicinity of the cubs. The bear was shot while mauling a fourth victim. The majority of attacks happened in national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had habituated to close human proximity and food. A limitation of food sources in early spring and wild berry and nut crop failures in summer may contribute to American black bears regularly feeding from human-based food sources.

These bears often eat crops, especially during autumn hyperphagia when natural foods are scarce. Favored crops include apples , oats and corn.

Livestock depredations occur mostly in spring. Although they occasionally hunt adult cattle and horses , they seem to prefer smaller prey such as sheep , goats , pigs and young calves. They usually kill by biting the neck and shoulders, though they may break the neck or back of the prey with blows with the paws.

Evidence of a bear attack includes claw marks and is often found on the neck, back and shoulders of larger animals. Surplus killing of sheep and goats are common. American black bears have been known to frighten livestock herds over cliffs, causing injuries and death to many animals; whether or not this is intentional is not known. Although large, aggressive dogs can sometimes cause a bear to run, if pressed, angry bears often turn the tables and end up chasing the dogs in return. A bear in pursuit of a pet dog can threaten both canid and human lives.

In British Columbia , a group of American black bears were used as guard animals to protect a marijuana plantation. The hunting of American black bears has taken place since the initial settlement of the Americas. The first piece of evidence dates to a Clovis site at Lehner Ranch , Arizona.

Partially calcined teeth of a 3-month old black bear cub came from a roasting pit, suggesting the bear cub was eaten. The surrounding charcoal was dated to the Early Holocene 10, BP. Black bear remains also appear to be associated with early peoples in Tlapacoya , Mexico. Native Americans increasingly utilized black bears during the Holocene , particularly in the late Holocene upper Midwest , e.

Some Native American tribes, [ which? Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head's nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage. Unlike the hunting of hibernating grizzly bears, which was fraught with danger, hibernating American black bears took longer to awaken and hunting them was thus safer and easier.

He wrote that American black bears were difficult to hunt by stalking, due to their habitat preferences, though they were easy to trap. Roosevelt described how, in the southern states, planters regularly hunted American black bears on horseback with hounds.

General Wade Hampton was known to have been present at successful American black bear hunts, two-thirds of which he killed personally. Females give birth to cubs every other year if food sources are sufficiently plentiful. In years when food supplies are scarce, a female may skip an additional year or two between litters. The cubs are born in the mother's winter den, and will den with her again the following winter. The following spring, when the cubs are one and a half years old, the cubs and female will separate and the female will breed again.

A black bear litter can have one to five cubs, but most commonly litters contain two cubs. Black bears can live up to 30 years in the wild, but most die before they are in their early 20s. The American black bear is not currently a species of conservation concern and even the formerly listed black bear of Florida and Louisiana is now increasing.

Habitats in western Texas, from which black bears were extirpated, are now being recolonized. Conservation efforts for black bears have been effective and, in most areas, black bears are increasing and can sustain managed sport hunting. In areas with human populations, this can cause conflicts because bears are very attracted to human foods and refuse, as well as to livestock and livestock foods. Since bears are large and strong animals, many people fear them and resent the damage they can cause.

The key to successful coexistence between humans and bears is to recognize that it is no longer possible for either species to occupy all habitats, but that where co-occupancy is possible and desirable, humans must be responsible for the welfare of the bear population. Wild areas with little human footprint will remain the most important habitat for bears, but peaceful coexistence can occur in the urban-wildland interface as long as humans take the necessary steps to assure that the relationship remains a positive one.

Males will seek out females for mating during the breeding season in June and July. Once she's mated, a female black bear's fertilized eggs won't enter her uterus until the autumn, in a process called delayed implantation, according to ADW. This delay, followed by a day gestation period, allows females to give birth in their winter dens, typically during hibernation. Bears usually fatten up in late summer and fall as they prepare to hibernate through the winter months, from about November to March.

They may feed for up to 20 hours, consuming up to 20, calories per day during this period, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission opens in new tab. Black bears create their dens in the ground, under a windfall or in a hollow tree or cave, or use a previously occupied animal den, according to the NPS opens in new tab.

The hibernation length varies across the black bears' range. Black bears in Mexico, for example, may not need to hibernate at all as the climate is mild and food remains available through winter. In contrast, black bears living in the colder environment of northern Alaska hibernate for about 7 months, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game opens in new tab.

They survive off fat reserves built up in late summer and fall but maintain much of their muscle mass so they don't become weak. Female black bears typically give birth to two or three offspring in February during hibernation. Baby black bears, called cubs, weigh just 7 to 11 ounces to grams at birth, according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum opens in new tab.

Black bear cubs stay in the den with their mothers until spring. The cubs are weaned before they reach 8 months old, but they won't leave their mothers until they are about 17 months old, after hibernating with her during their second winter, according to ADW.

Black bears can live more than 30 years in the wild. However, most black bears only live to be about 10 years old and die well short of their maximum lifespan, according to ADW. They are also found in a few small areas in the southwest and southeast. Related: How to Avoid a Bear Attack. Black bear are the most timid and least dangerous of the bears found in North America. They will try to avoid humans as much as humans try to avoid them.

If they know of any easy food source they will use it, but they generally travel at night to avoid detection. Not all black bear have black fur. Their fur color ranges from black to light brown, making color a poor method of identification. The size of a bear can help identify it. The average male black bear can range from about one hundred fifty pounds up to about five hundred fifty pounds.

Another characteristic is that black bears generally have larger ears than a grizzly. Previously, bears lived in larger areas of North America.

For example, the habitat of the grizzly extended almost to the current border of the United States with Mexico. Vendor List Privacy Policy. Skip to content Nature. Historic and Present range of the Grizzly Bear. Connect with D.

Black Bear Population by State (Recent Reports) - Wildlife Informer.

Bears using these human-associated foods can quickly become habituated to them and this commonly results in the bears being killed as nuisances. This is true for bee hives as well, as bears are very attracted to honey. Black bears are typically solitary creatures, except for family a female with cubs groups and during mating season, which peaks in May and June. Delayed implantation allows the female to not waste fat reserves and energy in sustaining a pregnancy that would have little chance of success because her condition is too poor.

Females give birth to cubs every other year if food sources are sufficiently plentiful. In years when food supplies are scarce, a female may skip an additional year or two between litters. The cubs are born in the mother's winter den, and will den with her again the following winter. The following spring, when the cubs are one and a half years old, the cubs and female will separate and the female will breed again.

In areas with human populations, this can cause conflicts because bears are very attracted to human foods and refuse, as well as to livestock and livestock foods.

Since bears are large and strong animals, many people fear them and resent the damage they can cause. The key to successful coexistence between humans and bears is to recognize that it is no longer possible for either species to occupy all habitats, but that where co-occupancy is possible and desirable, humans must be responsible for the welfare of the bear population.

Wild areas with little human footprint will remain the most important habitat for bears, but peaceful coexistence can occur in the urban-wildland interface as long as humans take the necessary steps to assure that the relationship remains a positive one.

Bears often make trips up to 40 miles outside of their ranges to feed on berries or nuts or occasionally to an orchard or field of oats or corn in late summer or fall. When feeding on a concentrated food source, bears may use areas as small as several acres; when searching for dispersed food or mates, they can cover several miles in a day.

Bears are active in late fall as long as food is plentiful. In years when fall foods are abundant, bears will feed until snow makes travel difficult, and normally enter dens in late November. If late fall food is scarce, bears usually enter dens in October. We use data collected from annual harvests and telemetry studies to guide bear management decisions in Maine. We regulate bear numbers primarily through annual hunting and trapping harvests.

The information we use to assess the bear population and bear habitat is documented in a written bear management system PDF developed in, which contains criteria for decision-making and management options. A reassessment of the past, present, and future status of bears, their habitat, and demands on the bear resource was completed in This assessment PDF provides the scientific basis for management goals.

In , the Department set new management goals and objectives to direct bear management through based upon the recommendations of a public working group representing diverse interests.

Bears were bountied as vermin until , but were granted game species status in when mandatory monitoring of annual harvests began. The annual bag limit is 2 bears per year with one taken by either hunting or trapping or both. Bears can be hunted over bait during the first 4 weeks of the season, with hounds for a 6 week period that overlaps the last 2 weeks of the bait season, and by still hunting and stalking throughout the entire season.

In September and October, trappers can set 1 foot snare or cage trap for bears. Harvest regulations are applied uniformly statewide, with no regional controls on hunting effort.

Beginning in , a bear hunting permit has been required to hunt bears in September and October. For the first 8 years, Maine residents purchased the majority of permits and permit numbers fluctuated between 10, and 11, Table 1.

After the spring bear hunt in Ontario was closed in , non-resident hunters became more interested in hunting black bears in Maine. Within a year, non-resident participation exceeded resident participation. By , permit sales peaked at over 15, Starting in , trappers and non-resident deer hunters are required to purchase a permit to harvest a black bear.

This new permit was established to track hunter participation later in the season and to generate a dedicated funding source for bear research and management. We will consider increasing hunting opportunities to meet bear management goals, if hunter participation continues to decline, especially during the early bear season. In addition, Maine has a small human population 1. However, each year, primarily in the spring and early summer, the Department receives numerous calls from homeowners when bears have destroyed bird feeders or disturbed garbage.

Most conflicts with bears can be prevented by removing common food attractants around homes. Each year, primarily in the spring and early summer, the Department receives numerous calls from homeowners when bears have destroyed bird feeders or disturbed garbage.

To learn more about preventing bear conflicts in back yards, while camping, hiking, see Living with Black Bears. One of our most celebrated and treasured animals is the black bear.

Although many people enjoy an abundant bear population, too many bears can create problems for the bears and the people who live with them. Black bear management is a balancing act between maintaining a healthy and abundant population for all to enjoy, and limiting the growth of the bear population so that bear nuisance problems do not cross the line of public tolerance.

This may include advice on taking in bird feeders, handling outside trash, and how to prevent damage to agricultural crops. Each fall, bear hunters enter the Maine woods in hopes of harvesting a black bear. These hunters and the rules that control their methods are the tools that managers use to ensure the bear population is not overharvested and to keep the bear population from "crossing the line".

They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28—40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks. Cubs are dependent on their mother's milk for 30 weeks and will reach independence at 16—18 months. At the age of 6 weeks, they attain g 2. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years and attain their full growth at the age of 5 years.

The average lifespan in the wild is 18 years, though it is quite possible for wild individuals to survive for more than 23 years. With the exception of the rare confrontation with an adult brown bear or a gray wolf pack, adult American black bears are not usually subject to natural predation. In such scenarios, the big cat would have the advantage if it ambushed the bear, killing it with a crushing bite to the back of the skull.

Known predators of bear cubs have included bobcats , coyotes , cougars , gray wolves, brown bears and other bears of their own species. There is a single record of a golden eagle snatching a yearling cub. However, in current times, American black bear fatalities are mainly attributable to human activities. Seasonally, thousands of American black bears are hunted legally across North America to control their numbers, while some are illegally poached or trapped unregulated. Auto collisions also may claim many American black bear lives annually.

American black bears were once not considered true or "deep" hibernators , but because of discoveries about the metabolic changes that allow American black bears to remain dormant for months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating, most biologists have redefined mammalian hibernation as "specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather". American black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators.

Understanding the physiology of bears in the wild is vital to the bear's success in captivity. The bears enter their dens in October and November, although in the southernmost areas of their range i.

Florida, Mexico, the Southeastern United States , only pregnant females and mothers with yearling cubs will enter hibernation. Hibernation in American black bears typically lasts 3—8 months, depending on regional climate.

During their time in hibernation, an American black bear's heart rate drops from 40 to 50 beats per minute to 8 beats per minute and the metabolic rate can drop to a quarter of the bear's nonhibernating basal metabolic rate BMR. These reductions in metabolic rate and heart rate do not appear to decrease the bear's ability to heal injuries during hibernation.

Their circadian rhythm stays intact during hibernation. This allows the bear to sense the changes in the day based on the ambient temperature caused by the sun's position in the sky.

It has also been shown that ambient light exposure and low disturbance levels that is to say, wild bears in ambient light conditions directly correlate with their activity levels. The hibernating American black bear does not display the same rate of muscle and bone atrophy relative to other nonhibernatory animals that are subject to long periods of inactivity due to ailment or old age.

The time that American black bears emerge from hibernation varies. Factors affecting this include temperature, flooding, and hunger. In southern areas, they may wake up in midwinter.

Further north, they may not be seen until late March, April, or even early May. Altitude also has an effect. Bears at lower altitudes tend to emerge earlier. Finally, mature males tend to come out earliest, followed by immature males and females, and lastly mothers with cubs. Mothers with yearling cubs are seen before those with newborns. Generally, American black bears are largely crepuscular in foraging activity, though they may actively feed at any time.

As the spring temperature warms, American black bears seek new shoots of many plant species, especially new grasses , wetland plants and forbs. During the autumn hyperphagia , feeding becomes virtually the full-time task of American black bears. Hard masts become the most important part of the American black bear's diet in autumn and may even partially dictate the species' distribution.

Unlike gray wolves and coyotes, American black bears rarely scatter the remains of their kills. Vegetation around the carcass is usually matted down by American black bears and their droppings are frequently found nearby. American black bears may attempt to cover remains of larger carcasses, though they do not do so with the same frequency as cougars and grizzly bears. Over much of their range, American black bears are assured scavengers that can intimidate, using their large size and considerable strength, and if necessary dominate other predators in confrontations over carcasses.

However, on occasions where they encounter Kodiak or grizzly bears, the larger two brown subspecies dominate them. American black bears tend to escape competition from brown bears by being more active in the daytime and living in more densely forested areas.

Violent interactions, resulting in the deaths of American black bears, have been recorded in Yellowstone National Park. American black bears do occasionally compete with cougars over carcasses. Like brown bears, they will sometimes steal kills from cougars. As a result, the cats spend more time killing and less time feeding on each kill. American black bear interactions with gray wolves are much rarer than with brown bears, due to differences in habitat preferences.

Unlike brown bears, American black bears frequently lose against wolves in disputes over kills. There is at least one record of an American black bear killing a wolverine Gulo gulo in a dispute over food in Yellowstone National Park.

At least one jaguar Panthera onca has been recorded to have attacked and eaten a black bear: "El Jefe", the jaguar famous for being the first jaguar seen in the United States in over a century. American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America's indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit , while the grizzly bear was created by the Evil Spirit.

Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is named after a Native American legend, where a female bear and her two cubs swam across Lake Michigan in order to escape a fire on the Wisconsin shore. The mother bear reached the shore and waited for her cubs, but they did not make it across.

Two islands mark where the cubs drowned, while the dune marks the spot where the mother bear waited. Morris Michtom , the creator of the teddy bear , was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot an American black bear cub tied to a tree. Terrible Ted was a de-toothed and de-clawed American black bear who was forced to perform as a pro wrestler and whose "career" lasted from the s to the s.

Unlike grizzly bears , which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled.

Most American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting. Unlike female brown bears, female American black bears are not as protective of their cubs and rarely attack humans in the vicinity of the cubs. The bear was shot while mauling a fourth victim. The majority of attacks happened in national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had habituated to close human proximity and food.

A limitation of food sources in early spring and wild berry and nut crop failures in summer may contribute to American black bears regularly feeding from human-based food sources. These bears often eat crops, especially during autumn hyperphagia when natural foods are scarce. Favored crops include apples , oats and corn. Livestock depredations occur mostly in spring. Although they occasionally hunt adult cattle and horses , they seem to prefer smaller prey such as sheep , goats , pigs and young calves.

They usually kill by biting the neck and shoulders, though they may break the neck or back of the prey with blows with the paws. Evidence of a bear attack includes claw marks and is often found on the neck, back and shoulders of larger animals. Surplus killing of sheep and goats are common.

American black bears have been known to frighten livestock herds over cliffs, causing injuries and death to many animals; whether or not this is intentional is not known. Although large, aggressive dogs can sometimes cause a bear to run, if pressed, angry bears often turn the tables and end up chasing the dogs in return.

A bear in pursuit of a pet dog can threaten both canid and human lives. In British Columbia , a group of American black bears were used as guard animals to protect a marijuana plantation. The hunting of American black bears has taken place since the initial settlement of the Americas.

The first piece of evidence dates to a Clovis site at Lehner Ranch , Arizona. Partially calcined teeth of a 3-month old black bear cub came from a roasting pit, suggesting the bear cub was eaten.

The surrounding charcoal was dated to the Early Holocene 10, BP. Black bear remains also appear to be associated with early peoples in Tlapacoya , Mexico. Native Americans increasingly utilized black bears during the Holocene , particularly in the late Holocene upper Midwest , e. Some Native American tribes, [ which? Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head's nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage.

Unlike the hunting of hibernating grizzly bears, which was fraught with danger, hibernating American black bears took longer to awaken and hunting them was thus safer and easier. He wrote that American black bears were difficult to hunt by stalking, due to their habitat preferences, though they were easy to trap. Roosevelt described how, in the southern states, planters regularly hunted American black bears on horseback with hounds.

General Wade Hampton was known to have been present at successful American black bear hunts, two-thirds of which he killed personally. He killed 30 or 40 American black bears with only a knife, which he would use to stab the bears between the shoulder blades while they were distracted by his hounds.

In , 3, skins were exported from the Hudson's Bay Company. In Canada, American black bears are considered as both a big game and furbearer species in all provinces, save for New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, where they are only classed as a big game species. There are around 80, licensed American black bear hunters in all of Canada. Canadian black bear hunts take place in the fall and spring and both male and female bears can be legally taken, though some provinces prohibit the hunting of females with cubs, or yearlings.

Currently, 28 of the U. Nineteen states require a bear hunting license, with some also requiring a big game license. In eight states, only a big game license is required to hunt American black bears. Overall, over , American black bear hunting licenses are sold per year.

The hunting methods and seasons vary greatly according to state, with some bear hunting seasons including fall only, spring and fall, or year-round. New Jersey , in November , approved a six-day bear-hunting season in early December to slow the growth of the American black bear population. Bear hunting had been banned in New Jersey for five years before that time. Approximately 18, American black bears were killed annually in the U.

Within this period, annual kills ranged from six bears in South Carolina to 2, in Maine. According to Dwight Schuh in his Bowhunter's Encyclopedia , American black bears are the third most popular quarry of bowhunters , behind deer and elk. American black bear meat had historically been held in high esteem among North America's indigenous people and colonists.

The flesh of the [black] bear is savoury, but rather luscious, and tastes not unlike pork. It was once so common an article of food in New-York as to have given the name of Bear Market to one of the principal markets of the city.

Theodore Roosevelt himself likened the flesh of young American black bears to that of pork, and not as coarse or flavorless as the meat of grizzly bears. Meat from the neck, front legs and shoulders is usually ground into minced meat or used for stews and casseroles. Keeping the fat on tends to give the meat a strong flavor. As American black bears can have trichinellosis , cooking temperatures need to be high in order to kill the parasites. American black bear fat was once valued as a cosmetic article that promoted hair growth and gloss.

The fat most favored for this purpose was the hard white fat found in the body's interior. As only a small portion of this fat could be harvested for this purpose, the oil was often mixed with large quantities of hog lard. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Species of bear. Temporal range: 2. Conservation status. Pallas , Present-day range. Some individuals may develop a white " crescent moon " blaze on the chest.

Three newborn cubs. A bear taking a dead chum salmon near Hyder, Alaska. A bear with a pink salmon. See also: Bear attack and Bear danger. Main article: Bear hunting.

Retrieved February 19, Retrieved January 14, Black bears are usually about 3 feet 0. Brown bears are a bit bigger, typically 3 to 5 feet 0. A black bear's size and weight vary depending on its age and the time of year. In contrast, male brown bears can weigh up to lbs. Although brown bears are bigger than black bears and usually have lighter-colored coats, the NPS opens in new tab suggests that other characteristics, such as the shape of the bear's body and their tracks, are a more reliable way to identify each species.

Black bears do not have a pronounced shoulder hump, and their shoulders are lower than their rump when standing on all fours. Brown bears, on the other hand, have a clear shoulder hump that is higher than their rump. Size: 3 feet 0. Black bears also have straighter faces than brown bears when viewed from the side, and have taller, more oval-shaped ears, according to the NPS.

Their front claws are less than 2 inches 5 centimeters long and are shorter than brown bear claws, which are 2 to 4 inches 5 to 10 cm long.

Black bear claws are also more curved than brown bear claws and appear in bear tracks less often. Toe prints are more separated and arced in black bear tracks than brown bear tracks, and claw marks are closer to the foot pad when they are visible. Black bears range from northern Mexico, through the U. They are found in 32 U. Black bears are usually found in coniferous and deciduous forests, but their broad diet enables them to also use other types of habitat, including open alpine areas, according to The National Wildlife Federation opens in new tab.

Brown bears live in the western region of the black bears' range, including western Canada and U. Bears don't normally harm humans and often avoid encounters with people. However, bears occasionally attack to defend their cubs or food, and on extremely rare occasions kill humans to eat them. Seventy-eight people have been killed by black bears in the U. A study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management opens in new tab found that most fatal black bear attacks are caused by predatory male black bears.

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