Bear Facts

• Bear hunting is allowed in 28 states. (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, new Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
• Male adult black bears (boars) weigh 250-500 lbs.
• Female adult black bears (sows) weigh 200-450lbs.
• When standing on all fours, adult black bears measure 2-3 feet tall at the shoulders.
• When standing on its back legs, black bears measure from 5-7 feet tall.
• Black bears have a remarkable sense of smell. They can detect smells at over 2 miles.
• The nasal mucous membrane is 100 times larger than that of a human.
• Black bears have excellent hearing and near-sightedness.
• Black bears can see well at night because of a reflective layer in the back of their eyeballs that mirrors the moonlight.
• Black bears are strong swimmers.
• With 5 toes on each paw that have 2 inch long curved claws, the black bear is an excellent tree climber.
• Black bears live in mixed hardwood forests, dense swamps, and forested wetlands.
• Black bears can live 25 years in the wild.
• Black bears are omnivores. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever is available. Berries, fruit, nuts, insects, bird eggs, small mammals, carrion, fish, skunk cabbage, grasses, forbs, tubers, and bulbs are among things that black bears eat.
• An unnatural food source for the bear is human garbage.
• In late summer and fall, black bears consume a minimum of 20,000 calories a day to prepare for winter hibernation.
• Female black bears give birth to 2-3 blind cubs in mid-winter and nurse them until spring.
• Cubs stay with their very protective mother for up to 2 years.
• Black bears are solitary and roam large territories. (15-80 square miles).
• If you are not hunting and see a bear, make it aware of your presence. DO NOT APPROACH the animal; observe it only from a distance. Clapping, talking, or singing lets the bear know you are nearby.
• If you encounter a bear at close range remain standing, avoid direct eye contact, back up slowly and speak in a calm, assertive voice.
• Bear cub sounds: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-bear.html
• Grizzly sounds: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/grizzly-bear.htm