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Black Bear
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Black Bear have been
in Pennsylvania since before settlers
arrived. Bears are valued game animals, neighborhood pets,
garbage-eating pests, and may become the highlight of your
outdoor experience. Bears are shy, mysterious and powerful but
should not be feared -- just respected.
Because of the
increase in bear population in Pennsylvania over the past few
years, bears and people are coming into contact more
often. Developments are occupying former bear habitat and bears
have learned that there is easy-to-obtain food where people
live. The largest black bear populations are found
in north central and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Bear Facts
Ursus Americanus is the black bear's scientific name
which means American Bear. Males are called boars and females
are called sows. Three species of bear inhabit North America but
only the black bear can be found in Pennsylvania. Estimates of
bear population recently have been from 8,000 to 10,000 bears.
Black bears can run up to 35 mph, climb trees, swim well and
live up to 25 years of age. Black bears are
intelligent and can see colors, recognize human forms and notice
even the slightest movement but they usually rely on their sense
of smell and hearing to find food and warn of danger.
In spite of being called black
bears, they may be cinnamon-colored, blond or black. Sometimes
they have a white spot of "V" on their chest. Black bears look
heavy and have short, powerful legs. Adult bears usually weigh
from 200 to 600 pounds and sometimes weigh up to 900 pounds.
Adult males sometimes weigh twice as
much as females. Black bears measure about 3 feet high when on all fours or
about 5 to 7 feet tall when standing upright.
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Spotting a
Bear Sign
The bear hind foot has
5 toes, resembling a human's. The front foot is shorter than the
rear which is long and narrow. Claw marks may not be visible.
You would look for tracks in soft earth or around mud puddles.
Look for claw marks on smooth-barked trees or rotten logs. You
may also recognize a black bear's sizeable droppings of
partly-digested berries, corn or animal hair. Bears are
most active at night or early morning. Bears are omnivorous
meaning they eat almost anything from berries, corn, acorns,
beechnuts, grass, table scraps, carrion, honey and insects. Bears
fatten up for winter hibernation during late summer and fall.
During this time they may feed for up to 20 hours a day, taking
in up to 20,000 calories.
Bears in Winter & Mating
Bears are usually
dormant in winter and remain in their dens usually consisting of
rock caverns, excavated holes beneath shrubs, trees, hollow
trees or brushy thickets. When hibernating, the bear's heart
rate and breathing slow and their body temperature drops
slightly. During hibernation they do not eat or drink or pass
body wastes. Stored fat helps the bear to make it through the
winter. On very warm winter days, the bear may emerge to look
for food.
Bears in Pennsylvania mate primarily from June to mid July.
Males can be very aggressive towards each other during mating
season. Sows will give birth in January where litters range from
1 to 5 cubs. Newborns are blind, toothless, covered with
short fine hair that inadequately covers their pink skin. The cubs grow
from 10 ounces to 10 pounds by the time they leave the den in
late March or early April. Boars do not help rear the young.
Black bear cubs stay with the sow for a little over a year where
they learn by imitation. Cubs are playful and romp and wrestle
with their littermates. Sows are very protective of cubs and
send them up trees if danger approaches. Adult males
occasionally kill and eat cubs. The family group disbands the
following summer when the sow is again ready for breeding.
Living,
Camping or Hiking in
Bear Country
Black bears consume almost anything. Make sure you
don't encourage resident bears to become "nuisances" by
carelessly handling garbage or intentionally feeding the
bear. This could lead to having a bear removed from the area
or to the bear's death. Once they find easily accessible
food sources, they overcome their fear of people and visit
regularly. Sometimes you can remove the food source for a
month to see if the bear leaves but there are still no
guarantees.You can
reduce bear visits by keeping garbage out of bear's reach
and odor free. Store trash inside a building, garage or
shed. Don't put out trash until the collection morning.
Clean garbage cans regularly using hot water and chlorine
bleach.
If you feed pets outside,
bring their food pans inside at night. Bears will generally
steer clear of chained or penned dogs. Unleashed dogs that
approach bears may be perceived as a threat and could be
injured or killed. Don't let your dog roam far from the
house and leash it whenever you hike in the woods. Keep your
dog in the house or kennel at night.
Other tips include
cleaning the grease from your barbecue grill after every use
and properly dispose of grill grease. Don't dump grease from
cooking out back. If you feed birds during summer, you may
want to bring in all feeders at night. Bears are also
attracted to fruit, melon rinds or other tasty items in
mulch or compost piles. Black bears are also attracted to
sweet and field corn, especially in the milk stage.
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If camping or hiking in bear
country, you are responsible for doing all you can to prevent
close encounters and conflicts with bears. If you give a bear
food, you may be encouraging it to approach another person,
someone not looking for a close up opportunity with a bear. If
that next person does not give the bear food, it could lead to
an unpleasant and maybe dangerous experience. A bear should
never be rewarded for associating with people.
- Keep your camp clean and
odor free. Wipe tables and clean eating utensils thoroughly
after every meal. Burn all grease off grills and camp stoves.
Keep everything free of all food smells.
- Store food in safe, bear
proof places. Put food and coolers in your car trunk or
suspend them from a tree branch. Never leave food in your
tent.
- Dispose of garbage in the
camp receptacles or store trash in your vehicle. Never leave
your garbage behind.
- If hiking at dawn or dusk,
you increase your chances of meeting a bear. In places where
there is more noise, such as the roar of fast moving water or
thick vegetation, talk or make noise yourself to reduce your
changes of surprising any bears.
- Leave dogs at home or keep
them on a leash.
What do you do if you meet a
black bear?
Bear attacks are rare compared to the number of close
encounters. Most times, a bear will detect you first and leave
the area. If you meet a bear, some suggestions are:
- Stay calm
-- if it hasn't seen you, leave the area calmly. While moving
away, talk to help the bear discover your presence.
- Get back
-- If you have a close encounter, back away slowly while
facing a bear. Avoid direct eye contact. Give the bear plenty
of room to escape. Bears rarely attack people unless they feel
threatened or provoked. If you are on a trail, step off on the
downhill side and slowly leave the area.
- Don't climb or run
-- If a cub is nearby, try to move away from it. Be alert,
there could be other cubs. Never climb a tree to escape
because sows chase their cubs up trees when they detect
danger. If you climb a tree, a sow may interpret that as an
attempt to get her cubs. Stay on the ground and don't run or
make any sudden movements. If you run, you cannot outrun a
bear.
- Pay attention
-- Bears use their senses to figure out what you are. If they
recognize you as a person, some may stand upright or move
closer in their efforts to detect odors. Do not consider this
a sign of aggression. Once a bear identifies you, it usually
leaves the area. If a bear bluff charges you,
wave your arms and shout at the bear.
- Fight back
-- Black bear attacks in Pennsylvania are rare. If a bear
attacks, fight back. Bears have been driven away when people
have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their
bare hands.
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This bear information
has been edited from a Pennsylvania Game
Commission brochure. |
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