AZGFD

Black Bear

Black
Bear

Description

The name black bear can be misleading. Black bears actually have several color phases other than black, including brown, blonde, and cinnamon. They may also have tan or light colorations on the muzzle and chest. Black bears are large and stocky and have a short tail. Adults typically range from 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh 200–600 pounds, although in Arizona, females (sows) typically weigh up to 250 pounds while adult male black bears (boars) weigh up to 350 pounds. Males can be up to 70 percent heavier than females. The head is small but is supported by a strong neck. The ears are small and rounded. Their powerful limbs each have five toes and five short, curved claws for digging and cutting. Their front feet are about as long as they are wide, but the hind feet are long and narrow and resemble a human foot. Black bears have strong muscular necks and are very adept climbers.

Life History

Cubs are typically born during December – January in winter dens, usually in pairs, but larger litters are not uncommon. The cubs are very small and helpless at birth. Cubs emerge from the den in April and stay with their mother through the first summer and fall, denning with her their second winter. Female black bears in Arizona typically reach reproductive age in their fourth year and usually breed every other year. Normal reproductive cycles in Arizona black bears may be adversely affected by drought and resultant poor physiological condition. Black bears are relatively long lived animals, with some individuals exceeding 20 years of age. The low reproductive potential of this species is an important management consideration.

Diet

Black bears have an omnivorous diet, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They consume grasses, roots, flowers, leaves, berries, insects, fish, carrion, etc. Nonetheless, black bears are strong predators and will kill elk calves and deer fawns. In spring they consume emerging plants and carcasses of animals that have died during the winter. Fruits dominate the diet in summer, and both fruit and mast, especially acorns, constitute most of the fall diet. Black bears need to store enough fat to last through the winter season when food is more scarce. On average, they consume about 20,000 calories each day during the fall.

Behavior

Black bears are characterized as shy, secretive animals possessing considerable curiosity and displaying high levels of intelligence and exploratory behavior. Black bears are generally active in the early morning and late evening; they may alter their activity pattern to exploit sources of artificial food, becoming nocturnal at campgrounds and dumpsites. Nuisance activities are nearly always associated with artificial food sources (beehives, campgrounds, and livestock).

Black bears are normally solitary animals, except for family groups (mother and cubs), breeding pairs, and congregations at feeding sites. Black bears are known to move long distances (100 miles) to exploit isolated pockets of food. The mobility of black bears sometimes leads them to appear in uncharacteristic habitats and to return from long distances after being moved. Most Arizona black bears hibernate from November through March, during which time they reduce body temperature, heart rate, and metabolic function, while still remaining somewhat alert in the winter den.

Black Bear and Human Interactions

People have inadvertently created conflicts by building homes or recreating in black bear habitat and providing them access to food. Bears in search of food are often attracted to homes and campgrounds, and into close proximity with people. This close contact puts both humans and bears at risk. Most conflicts are the result of people unintentionally feeding bears, most often by allowing them access to household/camp garbage, bird feeders, or pet food. Fed bears can lose their fear of humans and begin to associate humans with food, sometimes causing property damage and even injuring people. Conflicts between humans and bears are preventable. Always store garbage in secured buildings, bear-proof garbage cans, or wait until the morning of garbage collection to put garbage outside. Hang bird feeders at least 10 feet above the ground and away from buildings, including porches, and use a tray to catch spills. Feed pets inside or remove uneaten pet food between feedings. Clean up trash around campsites and never bring food, drinks, or anything that may smell like food (deodorant, lotion, shampoo, soap, etc.) into a tent. The Department is committed to helping people learn how to behave responsibly and coexist safely in black bear habitat

Distribution, Abundance and Population Monitoring

Black bears are the most common and widely distributed of the three North American bears. Historically, black bears occurred in all forested habitats in North America, including Mexico. The species has been extirpated from many eastern and mid-western states, but still occurs in 38 states, 11 Canadian provinces, and seven Mexican states.

In Arizona, black bears occupy about 10,000 mi2 of non-tribal lands, most of which is in the north and eastern half of the state. Black bears in Arizona are found in most woodland habitats, including pinyon-juniper, oak woodland, coniferous forest, and chaparral. An interesting footnote to black bear distribution in Arizona is the absence of any sizable population of black bears north of the Colorado River.

The Department reports a stable black bear population with an estimated 2,000-2,500 black bears in the state. That population estimate is based on trends in harvest along with habitat availability and reported black bear densities from various studies across the state. In Arizona, relative densities of black bears are highest along the Mogollon Rim in the Mazatzal Mountains in central Arizona and the White and Pinaleno Mountains in eastern Arizona.

Wildlife managers use harvest data, specifically the sex and age composition of the annual harvest, to monitor long-term population trends and assure a science-based approach to regulating black bear harvest. These data are monitored by managers to ensure that the population maintains an appropriate composition of adults, subadults, and juveniles of both sexes necessary for sustainable populations. To collect harvest data, the Department requires hunters who harvest a black bear to physically present to the Department the skull and hide with proof of sex attached within 10 days of harvest. During this inspection, a premolar tooth is removed from each harvested black bear to accurately determine its age using cementum annuli analysis (similar to counting tree rings). Managers also collect tissue samples that may be used to genetically identify individuals, evaluate metapopulations, connectivity, dispersal, and for other investigative purposes. The Department uses harvest data and adaptive management, along with information acquired through research, to guide hunt management strategies and inform land management decisions such as transportation design, alternative energy projects, and urban and rural development planning.

Management History

Bear hunting has a long history in Arizona. As late as 1928, bears were classified as predatory animals and could be shot or trapped at any time. In 1929, however, a new “game code” classified bears of all kinds as big game, provided a month-long open season, and prescribed a bag limit of one. Bears could not be trapped, but they could be taken with dogs. Later years were more restrictive; cubs were protected in 1934, and in 1936, the bear season was closed south of the Gila River.

The status of bears deteriorated drastically during World War II. In 1942, all of the state’s refuges were open to bear hunting and the season was reopened in Cochise and Graham counties at the request of stockmen. In 1944, month-long fall and spring hunts were authorized. The following year bears lost their designation as game animals, and in 1949 a year-long season was authorized for Apache, Greenlee, Graham, and eastern Coconino counties, except during the seasons for other big-game species. After reinstating spring and fall bear seasons in 1950, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission again opted for year-long seasons from 1951 to 1953.

After 1954, bear regulations became more restrictive, tags were required to take one, and in 1968 the black bear was again classified as big game. This designation was appropriate as hunter interest in the species was increasing. Hunt success varied with weather conditions and changes in the population, but annual bear harvests ranged from 131 to 313 for the years 1964 through 1980. Hunter harvest between 2012 and 2021 has ranged between 221 and 357 black bears, with the higher harvest years following years of improved habitat and reproductive cycles. Population stability and sustainability are evident through the Department’s long term and adaptive management strategies. Relatively few bears are taken under the stock-taking clause, most of them being taken by hunters. Concern about the bear’s relatively low reproductive rate caused the Department to monitor the bear harvest more closely. Accordingly, a mandatory harvest reporting requirement was initiated in 1980. Since 2006, successful hunters are required to have their black bear physically inspected by the Arizona Game and Fish Department for identification of age and sex of the animal and collection of important biological information. Wildlife managers use these data to closely monitor harvest and ensure a sustainable population. Other recent changes in regulations have included the restructuring of spring hunt season days to close prior to the emergence of females and cubs from winter dens, the elimination of baiting and use of hounds as a method of take during hunt seasons, unit harvest limits in which the season is closed after a certain number of female bears are taken, and guidelines to ensure female harvest does not exceed a biologically acceptable limit.

Summary

Status: Most widely distributed bear in North America
Breeding Period: Early July
Young Appear: January in hibernation
Average Number of Young: 2
Distribution: 4K-10K ft, forest areas throughout Arizona
Habitat: Chaparral pine forests and aspen-fir pine forests
Food Preference: Omnivorous- berries, roots, grass, cactus fruits, insects, and occasionally livestock
Range: 7-50 sq. miles
Live Weight: M-350lbs.; F-250lbs.
Predators: Practically none