URSUS AMERICANUS

(American Black Bears)

 

By Denny L. Vasquez

Scientists have determined that approximately 30 to 40 million years ago during the Oligocene period, a family of small, tree-climbing carnivorous mammals came into existence. These animals, now referred to as miacids, had developed special canine teeth, which enabled them to pierce and tear the flesh of their prey. Additionally, the miacids had developed sharp-edged carnassial teeth (i.e., the last premolar in the upper jaw) and the first molar in the lower jaw. This development allowed the miacids to easily shear meat from a carcass into easily eaten smaller chunks of meat.

From an evolutionary perspective, these two developments led to the miacids becoming the ancestor of all seven present carnivore families. Included in the carnivore families are the, Ursidae, or bear family. This family consists of eight species including the brown bear, the American black bear, the polar bear, the giant panda bear, the Asiatic black bear, the spectacled bear, the sloth bear and the sun bear.

The first bears are known to have evolved from a heavy bear-like dog that developed from the earlier miacids. This animal is known to have existed during the late Oligocene period, some 27 million years ago. We also know that approximately 20 million years ago in subtropical Europe, a bear about the size of a small terrier existed. It is now referred to as Ursavis elemensis.

Approximately two and a half million years ago, the ancestors of modern bears first appeared. Members of this genus named Ursus (Latin for bear) later divided into three distinct evolutionary lines. Two of the lines were established in Asia and it is thought that they led to what is now the brown bear and the black bears. The third line developed in Europe and these animals have become known as the European brown bear.

 

In North America, the name, black bear, is a misnomer. Especially when the many color phases possible within this species of bear are taken into account. While most black bears in eastern North America, are in fact, black, this is not always the case as one moves westward across the continent. Color phases from brown to cinnamon to blond to light brown to dark brown to beige and even a blue-white are encountered. But the most unusual color phase is the Maltese blue of the bears of Kermode region of Canada. There is evidence to suggest that in areas of relatively high rainfall, black bears predominate while in the drier inland areas of the continent, brown and blond bears are more common.

The Kermode bear, often referred to as the ghost bear, has beautiful bluish cream-colored fur. It is found only on three small, isolated islands found off the western coast of British Columbia. The brown eyes and black nose of these bears eliminate any possibility that the Kermode bears are an albino race.

Another unique attribute of the black bears are that they are the one bear species which seems to have the greatest capacity to live in close proximity to man. Black bears are the most widespread and numerous bear in North America. It is estimated that there are somewhere between 400,000 and 750,000 black bears in North America today. Their range extends from the northern tree line of the Arctic in the north to the south, through most of Canada, the United States and as far south as the Sierra Madre Mountain range in northwestern Mexico.

 

The preferred habitats of black bears are forests with occasional open areas such as meadows. This includes the hardwood forests along the eastern side of North America, the coniferous forests found in the more central and western parts of the continent and the swamps of the Deep South. The only habitat forms that are excluded are those areas where heavy deforestation has occurred or the open plains. Thus the area suitable for black bear habitat encompasses 32 American states; all the provinces and territories of Canada excepting Prince Edward Island; and 5 Mexican states.

The size and weight of black bear will vary greatly from one region to another, depending upon food availability, climatic conditions, etc. But in general, adult black bears range from 35 to 40 inches tall when on all fours and have a length of 4 1/2 to 6 feet. Their weight ranges from 125 to 600 pounds with males within a specific geographic area on average about a third larger than females. The largest black bear to date was found in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Canada. It weighed in at 805 pounds. In the wild black bears can have a life span of twenty-five years or more.

Black bears have a heavy body, short tail, rounded ears and a hind foot with five toes. The feet of black bears are used in a manner similar to humans i.e., both heel and toe make contact with the ground when walking. They can be much quicker than their bulky appearance would suggest. Speeds in excess of over 25 miles per hour have been recorded as being maintained for short distances.

Black bears do not have the distinct shoulder hump that is a trait of the brown/grizzly bears. Also the claws on their front paws are much shorter then those of their larger cousins and are generally not visible from a distance. Their claws are curved more and are highly adapted to tree climbing, as all black bears are agile tree climbers. Even though they are members of the order Carnivora , black bears have evolved primarily into vegetarians with the accompanying changes to their dental structure and digestive tract.

Black bears seek out foods which will return the highest nutritional and protein value for the least expenditure of energy. Seasonal availability and geographic location are the biggest factors determining the primary food sources of bears. Often referred to as the billy goat of the forest, they will eat virtually anything edible. It has been determined that more than 75% of their diet consists of vegetable matter including, berries, flowers, grasses and sedges, herbs, tubers and roots, and nuts of all kinds. For the remaining portion of their diet, animal matter such as decaying animal carcasses, fish, small marine animals, ants and other insects, honey, elk and moose calves and a variety of other small mammals are consumed.

 

Like other big game species, they like to feed in the cool of the evening or in the early morning. During the heat of the day, they will often seek shade in the dense underbrush. The home range of an individual black bear will vary in size, based upon the availability of high-energy food sources. Therefore, the more food sources available, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal.

Females will normally have a home range of 2 1/2 to 10 square miles while males will have a home range, which is four times larger at 10 to 40 square miles. The range of every adult bear is composed of an individual territory, part of which constitutes its exclusive domain, while the rest it is shared with other bears. Consequently, a mature male bear will have a range that overlap with those of several female bears.

A home range does not normally constitute one large area but is composed of several smaller food source areas connected by travel lanes. Open areas are usually avoided by black bears, as they prefer wooded cover. Stream and creek beds are often used as travel lanes because of the thick undergrowth and a barrier-free escape route. This is particularly true in areas where there is heavy urban build-up.

Female black bears normally mature sexually at 3 to 5 years of age, with some waiting even later for their first mating. Copulation normally takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family. In warmer climates, mating may take place as early as May or June while in more northern locations, mating may be delayed until July or early August. Females will mate with several males over the two to three weeks of the breeding season and normally, will only breed every other year. Then after a period of about eight weeks, usually in January or February, the cubs will be born while the mother is still in hibernation.

The number of cubs born can range from one to a maximum of four with twins being the average. The number of cubs a female will have usually increase as she gets older. Again, climate and the availability of high protein food are important factors in determining the size of the litter.

When they are born, cubs are blind, hairless and very tiny. They only weigh from 8 1/2 to 11 1/2 ounces. Even though they are virtually helpless, they are able to move enough to suckle on their mother who remains asleep. Her milk is calorically very rich containing over 20% fat. In contrast, human milk only contains about 4% fat. During the first five weeks after birth, the cubs will grow rapidly on this rich diet so that they will be able to follow their mother when she leaves the den.

Survival of a bear cub is extremely slim at best with the most harmful factor being the predation of adult male bears. Also, wolves, bobcats, eagles, mountain lions and, in more urban areas dog packs have been known to kill young cubs who become separated from their mother’s side.

Cubs usually stay with their mother for the entire first year. Weaning generally takes place between July and September of their first year, but they stay with their mother through the first full winter. Their survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them and teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to get it, where to den, and how to cope with danger.

Young bears are still in extreme danger from predators, even as they grow as adolescents. Their mother finally drives off these youngsters when she prepares to breed once more. It is at this point that they must become self sufficient in order to stay alive and find sufficient food resources to build up their fat reserves to last over the long winter.

All bears have, as an imperative for insuring survival, the need to gain as much weight as possible during late summer and early fall. Black bears normally make very large weight gains by harvesting the nut crops, berries, etc. that are available in their local area The amount of weight gained may be as much as 30 pounds per week. At such times, foraging may occur around the clock with only short rest periods.

Most black bears will hibernate for between four and seven months, including all who live in areas with severe weather climates. In the more temperate zones of the continent, where the period without food available is shorter, they may either not hibernate or they may simply nest in a thicket or other sheltered area for brief periods of time.

In the northern portion of their range, the arrival of colder weather and/or snow precipitates the bear’s body undergoing a change in metabolism as it prepares for hibernation. Hibernation is an energy-saving process bears have developed to allow them to survive long periods when there is insufficient food available to maintain their body mass. As they stop eating and become increasingly lethargic, the bear will enter a cave; dig out a den; or hole up in a dense brush pile, hollow log or tree cavity.

A bear’s heart rate drops from between 40 to 70 beats per minute to only eight to twelve beats per minute and its metabolism slows down by half while it is hibernating. Unlike many other animals who hibernate, its body temperature only undergoes a minor reduction of 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Those black bears that do hibernate will vacate their winter dens over a one to two month period starting in April or May. Climatic conditions, such as snow cover or temperature, and physiological factors, such as the bear’s age, the status of its health and its remaining fat reserves affect the exact timing of emergence from its den. Adult males will normally be the first to emerge, with females with newborn cubs being the last to leave their dens.

During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight. Adult males and adolescent bears lose between 15% and 30% of their weight while it is not uncommon for a female with newborn cubs to have lost as much as 40% of her weight. The black bear will then resume its normal foraging pattern as it completes the cycle of life.

Across the continent black bear are hunted in many ways, but the three most prevalent methods are by baiting, with hounds or by glassing and stalking. Baiting is very popular in those areas where the thick vegetation does not allow for the ease of movement required by hounds or the open areas required to glass and stalk. This method is similar to the manner in which deer are hunted over feeders in Texas. A bait station is prepared to lure the bear into shooting range. Then the hunter is located in a hidden stand, where he awaits the arrival of the bear.

You can use almost anything that you can find for bait, just be sure that there is lots of it. Examples of good baits are suet, beef fat or pork fat, old bread soaked with molasses or used deep fryer grease. But don’t forget that bears love sweets. Donuts and cakes work great. If you can find a source of other things don’t be afraid to experiment. The bears will let you know if they work or not.

Once you have gotten of these things together, you are ready to start baiting. Find an old 55 gallon drum to put your bait in, don’t worry about what order, the bears will figure it out. One thing to note, it is very IMPORTANT: TIE DOWN YOUR BARREL. If you don’t then otherwise the bear may walk off with it.

 

After your bait site is prepared, set up your stand, preferably in a tree that will break up your outline as much as possible, downwind from the bait. About 50 yards away or at whatever distance you feel comfortable shooting. It does not hurt to prepare alternate shooting lane to the bait. Then if the bear eludes you at the bait site, you can catch him coming or going. Cover the opening to the barrel with logs to prevent raccoons and other animals from stealing the bait. This will also tell you whether or not your bait has been hit.

In order for baiting to work you must let the bear know where your bait is. A good way to accomplish this is to advertise, by making a honey burn. To make a honey burn, just put a small amount of honey in an old can, then using a propane or similar stove, cook the honey until you get a yellowish white smoke. Bears can smell this for over a mile. And it will stick to the trees around your bait site.

An alternative would be to loosen up the dirt in front of the barrel and mix in a liberal amount of well-used deep fryer oil. When the bear comes in he will be standing in the oil pad. When he is finished he will wander off to wherever bears go, making a trail of deep fryer oil. When another bear crosses his trail he will backtrack it right to your bait.

You must also get the bear accustomed to your scent at the bait site. Pick out an old T-shirt and wear it for two or three days, without washing, then put it in a plastic bag. The next time you visit the site put the shirt on a tree next to the bait. If the bear wants to eat your bait he will have to tolerate your scent If you are planning to use insect repellent, spray some on the trees around the site every time you go there. And be sure you use the same repellent every time. By doing these things, you are getting the bear accustomed to your scent so when you are sitting in your tree covered in mosquito repellent, and he does smell you, he won’t be spooked.

In many areas of the continent bears are pursued using specially trained bear dogs. This can be very tiresome work and is only for those hunters who are in excellent shape. The object of this method is that the dogs are turned out when a fresh track is encountered. Then the dogs chase the bear until it comes to bay or is treed. Once the hunter catches up to the dogs he can determine if he wants to harvest the bear or let it go and pursue another. This method allows the hunter more latitude in choosing how big a bear he shoots. If the bear treed by the dogs is smaller then what he desires, he can call off the dogs until another fresh track is found. Then it is off to the races until the right bear is finally found.

The third hunting method, glassing and stalking is probably the most challenging and is the author’s method of choice. In order for this method to work properly, there must be adequate open territory for the hunter to spot the bear and then make a successful stalk. In the heavy timber of the northwest, with the open, clear-cut areas, this method works especially well.

The object is for the hunter to drive the roads in timber country or climb as high as possible in more mountainous and rugged areas. Then the hunter glasses each clearing that is encountered or the surrounding countryside until a suitable bear is located. Then, after carefully planning a stalk, which utilizes the topography of the terrain, the hunter attempts to out smart the bear as he maneuvers into a shooting position that is within range of his and the rifle’s shooting abilities.

Hopefully this information will help you succeed on your next black bear hunting adventure.