Winter Walk for the Wild 2005

Information and Links for Educators and Students

Black Bears

Did you know that black bears weigh 150-400 pounds?
These large beautiful animals are found throughout the Border Country. During the summer they spend plenty of time snooping around campsites looking for campers' food. These bears are not interested in hurting you; their main goal is to get to your food!

Where do black bears live?
Black bears are unique to North America. They are found on the Pacific coast all the way across the Rockies up through the Great Lakes and over to the east coast down to Florida. Bears live primarily in the woods and they have a remarkable way of adapting to people moving in to their territory. In some places where humans have moved into wooded areas, bears can be a nuisance rummaging through peoples' trash.

What do black bears look like?
Black bears of the Border Country are usually black but in other parts of the country they may have lighter brown or cinnamon colored fur. They stand about 2-3 feet high and are about 4-5 feet long. The males are much larger than females. Grizzly bears are sometimes mistaken for black bears but they are much larger and they have a muscular hump over their shoulders.

What do black bears eat?
Bears eat berries, nuts, tubers, roots, honey, worms, buds, leaves, fruit, twigs, grubs, fish, insects, and small mammals. In the spring, black bears even eat the inside layer of young trees. They must eat between 11 and 18 pounds of food each day to stay healthy.

Did you know that bears are nocturnal?
Bears are nocturnal which means they are most active at night. However, it is quite common to see them in the day.

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How much land do bears need to live on?
Male bears need much larger territories than do females. Males can roam in territories from 6-230 square miles. Females only need areas between 1-36 square miles. Bears usually live alone except during the mating season.

How long do black bears usally live?
The oldest black bear lived for 32 years in captivity. Most bears in the wild do not live that long because some are hunted and others die from living in harsh environments.

Did you know that bears can swim?
Bears are powerful swimmers and they can easily swim across lakes in the summer time. They are also good climbers and runners. There normal walk looks a little clumsy but these animals can run in short bursts of speeds up to 30 miles per hour. That's fast!

When are the cubs born?
Cubs are born between January and February. They weigh about half a pound at birth. The female bears usually wait until they are about three years old before having cubs. The new mothers usually only have 1 cub the first winter. The tiny newborns nurse while their mother hibernates. They nurse for about a year and they stay with their mother for the first 1.5 to 2.5 years. Mother bears are very protective and will guard their cubs from danger. Sometimes the cubs climb trees to avoid danger while the mother stands on guard.

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Did you know that bears hibernate?
Bears hibernate for about 6 months through the winter months. This means they rest and stay sleeping in a cave or crevice. Hibernation is an important adaptation for many different animals living in places with extremely cold winters. These animals sleep during the winter when food is difficult to find. Their bodily functions slow way down and their body temperature drops to 88 degrees. This drop in body temperature allows the bears to survive on fewer calories per day. Before hibernation, the bears need to store up a 100 pound layer of fat to keep them well fed throughout the winter. They try to stuff themselves full of high energy foods like nuts and berries to build up the fat layer. It is interesting that bears do not produce any bodily waste when they are hibernating. Their bodies reabsorb the waste that would normally come out as urine and use it to build muscles. Bears actually wake up stronger than they were before hibernation! Most bears in the canoe country wake up around mid- April and they begin looking for food. Food is difficult to find until later on the spring so many bears will eat aspen and willow catkins until plants begin blossoming.

What are some signs of bear activity?
A good way to look for bears is to watch the ground for bear tracks. Bears have large footprints with 5 toes. They look a little bit like large flat footed human tracks. The front feet are about 4 inches long and 5 inches wide while the back feet are between 7-9 inches long and 5 inches wide. Another good clue to look out for are bear droppings. Their droppings look a lot like dog droppings but often contain signs of berries, animal fur, nutshells, seeds, and grasses.
Bears will also scratch trees with their teeth and claws so look out for scar marks about 5 feet from the ground. Look out for turned up stumps and decayed logs where bears have been searching for insects.
The black bear is unique to North America and is another member of the forest that makes the Border Country such a special place.

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Sources
Schmidt, A., and C.R. Schmidt. 1991. Bears and their forest cousins. Gareth Stevens Children's Books, Milwaukee.
Stensaas, M. 1993. Canoe country wildlife: A field guide to the North Woods and Boundary Waters. Pfiefer-Hamilton, Duluth.
Whitaker, J.O. 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

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