Black Bear Hunting Guide >> Black Bear Hunting Tips

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species native to North America. It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Canada and Alaska south into Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This includes 40 of the 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island. Populations in the east-central and southern United States remain in the protected mountains and woodlands of parks and preserves, though bears will occasionally wander outside the parks’ boundaries and set up new territories, in some cases on the margins of urban environments.

Black bears are omnivorous creatures eating a large variety of foods, but relying mostly on grass, herbs, fruits and mast. Moreover, they feed on carrion but also insects (mostly for the larvae) like carpenter ants (Campanotus spp.), bees (Apidae), yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) and termites (Isoptera). Black bears occasionally kill and eat little rodents as well as ungulate fawns. Resembling a lot of animals, they rarely attack except when cornered, threatened or hurt. They are less probable of attacking humans than grizzlies and usually are long gone for cover before they can even be spotted. These bears fancy wooded and shrubby regions, but also live in wet fields, ridgetops, burned areas, high tidelands, riparian areas, avalanche chutes and agricultural fields. Furthermore, they are common on swampy hardwood or conifer forests. The black bears on occasion sleep through winter and can build burrows in tree holes, under rocks or logs, in caverns, or culverts as well as in shallow depressions.

American black bears are approximately 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Female bears weigh from 90 to 400 pounds (40 to 180 kg); males ponder between 150 and 500 pounds (68 and 225 kg). Cubs typically weigh between 200 to 450 g at birth. Adult animals have undersized eyes, round ears, a long nose, a huge body and a small tail. Bears of this kind have an outstanding sense of smell. Although they usually have hairy black hair, coat can differ in color according to the subspecies: from white to chocolate-brown, cinnamon-brown to blonde, found regularly west of the Mississippi river, to black in the east part (same rule generally applies to the Canadian range, with the border between Ontario and Manitoba).

Females generally reach breeding maturity at 3 to 4 years of age and with adequate nutrition can breed every 2 years. In poor quality habitat, they may not mature until 5-7 and may skip breeding cycles. Males are sexually mature at same age, but may not become large enough to win breeding rights until they are 4-5 years old (they have to be large enough to win fights with other males and be accepted by females). Mating is generally done during summer, from Mid-June to mid-August with some variation depending on latitude. The cubs are generally born in January or February. They are very small, about 10-14 ounces, and are blind, nearly hairless, and helpless when born. Two to three cubs are most common, though up to four and even five cubs has been documented. First-time mothers typically have only a single cub. The mother nurses the cubs with rich milk, and by spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. By this time they are about 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg).

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