Species-Specific Management (SSM)

Black Bears

Photo from Lynn L.Rogers (US Forest Service 1988)

Insert bio info.

Managing Their Effects

Bears can injure or kill people but they rarely do. Even bears with cubs tend to flee from humans. Only 2 human/bear encounters were recorded over a 19 year period in northern Minnesota. There are only 23 human deaths reported over the past century. If ever attacked, humans can improve their chances by fighting rather than playing dead. Bears are very interesting to watch but they should be given full respect and avoided. They may nip or cuff and certainly should not be teased with food. They rarely enter tents. They usually can be scared away by yelling, waving, and banging pans. A bear feeding on camp groceries may be rushed but never closer than 15 feet. Capsaicin spray repellent (used by postmen as a dog repellent) has been effective sprayed in the eyes of bears (without apparent harm) Bears learn that coolers, etc. have food. Pack food carefully; hang it in trees 12 feet off the ground and 10 feet away from trees. (Large bears can jump 9 feet.) Keep campsites clean. (Info from the North Central Forest Experiment Station, St. Paul, Mn.

The bear weight predition equation of Cattet is:

Y = e ^-8.16 x₁^1.39 x₂^1.21 x₃^0.08

Where Y is predicted weight in kilograms, x₁ is auxialiary girth in centimeters; x₂ straight body length in centimeters, and x₃ age of bear in years and e = 2.7183

A Michigan State University study found the average home range of a female black bear around 13.96 square kilometers (about 5½ square miles).

References

See: Eger and Engstrom, Fall/Winter 1996, The Bear Facts,Rotunda, a Royal Ontario Museum publication which gives a quick summary of the family Ursidae (Subfamily and Genus) for the world.

Ah, G.L., G.T. Matula, Jr., F.W. Alt, and J.E. Lindzey. 1980. Dynamics of home range and movements of adult black bears in North Eastern Pennsylvania. Bear Biol. Assoc. Con. Ser. 3: 131-136

Cattet, M . 19??. Predicting nutritional condition in blackbears on the basis of morphological and physiological measurements. Canadian J. Zoology 68:32-39 (QL1 N1532

Clark, J.D., J.E. Dunn, K.G. Smith. 1993. A multivariable model of female black bear habitat use for a GIS. J. Wildl. Manage. 57(3): 519-526

Landers, J.L., R.J. Hamilton, A.S. Johnston, and R.L. Marchington. 1979. Food and habitats of black bears in South Eastern North Carolina. J. Wildlife Manage. 43(1): 143-153

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.