About Black Bears

Ah, the moderate, easy-going bruin that seldom harasses or harms humans. That is so untrue! Black bears attack and kill more humans then polar and brown bears combined. Part of this is due to their population numbers, estimated at 500,000, and distribution in the wilderness and human interface zones. Part is due to our belief that black bears are cute, harmless fur balls. When humans push into a bears comfort zone way too much, conflict and war ensue! I have always thought that any animal with three inch claws, two inch teeth, powerful muscles and unbelievable speed should be respected and feared in a more rational way. Oh well, I guess that is just me!

Now with that said, black bears are the most moderate of all North American bears. They are intelligent, have fairly calm personalities, dislike confrontations that can be avoided, are fairly consistent in their behaviors and are enjoyable to relax with in the forest. That is if they like you!

Black Bear Habitats

Black bears exist in many areas of the lower 48 states, all of Canada and, of course, Alaska. Hawaii has no bears but this has been compensated for with great beaches. Florida has a small population scattered in six wilderness regions throughout the state. The bears in this sub-species have a fairly stable population base. They are one of three genetically separate subspecies of black bears in the south. Another distinct sub-species lives in East Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. This sub-group is endangered as their habitat is being degraded by human encroachment. Programs are being developed and implemented to help these bears.

Black bears exist and have a moderately stable population along the eastern mountains and piedmonts. From Georgia to Maine, bears’ numbers are steady and they roam in healthy habitats not impacted severely by human encroachment. The urban interface issues seem to be mitigated in many of these areas. Healthy and steady populations of bears with stable, plentiful and quality habitats remain in the Upper Midwest states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The vast hardwood and conifer forests provide prime habitat for these animals.

The inter-mountain west has the greatest concentration of bears in the lower 48. All states west of the Rocky Mountains have large and viable populations. Of course, there are management issues that include bear/human interface and habitat destruction. Many individuals, environmental groups, and state and federal agencies are proceeding with research on how to mitigate these issues.

Canada and Alaska have the largest populations of black bears. These populations are steady and the habitat is healthy in general. Droughts, fires and other local conditions contribute to some localized problems but on the whole black bears are doing well in these areas.

Black Bear Characteristics

The weight of adult male black bears is variable depending on season, age and health. Their weights can be as low as 125 pounds to as high as 550 pounds. Female weights are about 30% less. For the record, there is a North Carolina black bear that tipped the scales at a whopping 880 pounds! Hate to meet him in a back alley! The largest bears of any population group are black bears that live on the British Columbian coast. Their habitat is rich in both vegetation and protein source foods. Many of these large males weigh near 700 pounds.

Black bears come in all kinds of colors, or phases. From black to brown, blonde and blue, there is even a white black bear. The predominate color phase, as you would guess, is black. Almost all east coast, Midwest, southern, Alaskan, Canadian and Pacific northwestern bears are black. They can have a white arc shaped crescent on their chest and possibly brown on their legs and snout. California, Colorado, Utah and Nevada bears will most likely be brown, cinnamon, blonde, chocolate phase bears. Why is this? It is possibly an adaptation to the forests that they live in.

Black Bear Habitats

Black bears are animals that thrive in a forest environment. Eastern, southern, and Canadian Shield forests are predominately dark forests composed of hardwoods and ground covering conifers, with heavy and thick vegetation interspersed between trees. This is perfect black bear habitat. This camouflage makes it easier to hunt within the forest cover, and it provides the bears with plentiful food sources within a protective environment.

In contrast, southwest forests are open and generally tend to be more rocky and mountainous. Ground cover is less prevalent and trees tend to be Ponderosa, Jeffery, Coulter and other types of pines with few lower hanging branches. This makes for an airy and open forest floor. The color phases of brown, blonde, cinnamon and chocolate allow these bears to blend into these forests better and maintain camouflage looks for both hunting and safety.

Black Bear Phases (Colors)

A white black bear? A blue bear? Might we have found the rum stash when seeing these color phases? No, not at all.

The Kermode black bear lives along the central British Columbia coast and is white. They are somewhat larger than the average black bear. The white phase seems to be a genetic recessive gene that shows itself in this population cluster. These bears live in the dense forests and are quite difficult to photograph and view.

South eastern Alaska, around the Mt St.Elias region, is the center of the glacier bear, a bluish colored black bear. Its sable fur shines blue in the gorgeous Alaskan sunshine.

In Closing

Black bears are magnificent wild animals. Living in the forests that these bears call home is a pleasure and sometimes a challenge. I enjoy matching wits with these ‘stomachs with legs.’ It can be frustrating but is always fascinating. I love watching and learning from these bears even if they occasionally dined on some of the foods that I haul in on my back. Black bears have been a pleasure in my mountaineering life.