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WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE.Please educate yourself and others.
BE BEAR AWARE! |
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BLACK BEAR FACTS
Tracking & Finding Evidence of Bears
BEAR ENCOUNTER GUIDELINES
BLACK BEAR FACTS
The American Bear Association
- keen sense of smell (7 times more powerful than dogs); can detect odors over a mile away
- goes without food for 6 to 7 months during hibernation in their northern range
- very curious, resourceful, and intelligent
- excellent memory and remembers food sources for many years
- nervous, shy, easily frightened – can cause serious injury if startled, cornered, or provoked
- usually prefers to avoid humans
- opportunistic; will take advantage of readily available food
- becomes bolder when hungry or habituated
- very powerful and strong, thus should be treated with caution and respect
- proficient at climbing, swimming, and running
- often avoids open areas and prefers protective cover of trees and thickets
- diet consists of approximately 85% vegetable matter including nuts, berries, seeds, grasses
- stands up on hind legs NOT to attack but out of curiosity and to get a better look or smell
Tracking & Finding Evidence of Bears
Where to Look for Bear Sign
Black bear habitat can include swamps, mountain streams, and woods (especially pinyon-juniper woodland, aspen forests, and oak woodlands). In southern California, look for bear sign along mountain streams and in oak woodlands habitat.
Bear Tracks
Bears are pacers — wide-bodied animals that move both legs on one side of the body at a time (alternating both right limbs then both left). They are plantigrade walkers (like people) — the heel of the back foot lands flat on each step. The track of a bear's back foot looks very similar to a human footprint, although a bear's foot is wider and shorter. Bears have five toes on both the front and rear feet. The "big" toe on a bear is the outer toe. Note: the heel pad of the front foot, the claws, and the fifth (inside) toe often don't register in a track.
The distance between the outer edges of black bear footprints (called trail width) is 14 inches. A black bear's stride (measured from the tip of the foremost toe of one foot to the tip of the same toe of the other foot) is 18 inches when walking and 2-5 feet when it is running. During a slow walk, the bear's hind foot overlaps the front foot; during a fast walk, the hind foot oversteps (lands in front of) the front foot. See picture:
Black bears often follow well-established trails. Wide double ruts formed in the grass or the ground are a good indication of a bear trail. In wooded areas, these trails often go under obstructions.
Bears (like people) break twigs and sticks as they walk; watch the trail for broken sticks, then use a magnifier to find closely spaced cracks or bending along twigs, indicating the round, soft footprints made by a bear.
Bear Scat (droppings)
Black bear scat (when firm) is tubular, between 1-3/8 inches and 1-1/2 inches in diameter. (Grizzly bear scat measures 2-1/4 inches.) Because black bears are mostly vegetarian (eating grass, roots, pine nuts, berries, buds, leaves, bark and nuts), bear scat often contains plant matter. Also look for the remains of other common black bear food: insects, eggs, birds, mice, rats, chipmunks, ground squirrels, fish, honeycomb, and carrion. Of course, black bears are known for eating just about anything they can find in a garbage can, so even the unusual item may be found in bear scat. Black bear scat has been known to contain tin cans, pizza boxes, watches, tent screening, zippers, motorcycle chains and even crushed hubcaps!
Bear scat: between 1-3/8 inches and 1-1/2 inches in diameter
Black Bear Skull
Black bear skulls measure approximately 300 mm (11-3/4-inches long) — depending on the size of the individual. The lower jaw has three incisors, one canine tooth, four premolars and three molars, while the upper jaw has three incisors, one canine, four premolars and only two molars.
Feeding Signs
Watch for rocks and logs that have been turned over or torn apart in a bear's search for ants and beetles. Anthills that have been scooped out are another sign of a bear's presence in an area. Black bears also dig for small animals and plant roots. And don't forget that tipped-over garbage can!
Bear Trees
Besides climbing, black bears often use trees as territory markers and rubbing posts, as well as a food source. Known as "bear trees," these are often found in a prominent spot along a trail.
Watch for claw marks in the soft, smooth bark of climbing trees, and for tooth marks where black bears have used their incisors to scrape the cambium layer of feeding trees. Black bears will often bite and pull off strips of bark on particularly tasty trees like pine, spruce and fir. High claw and tooth marks serve as signposts, advertising the size of a bear and indicating a challenge to rivals.
Bears love a good scratch as much as the next guy, and will rub against trees, bushes, and stumps to satisfy that itch. An established bear tree reveals years of rubs, scratches and bites, and may have long hairs embedded in the cracks.
Other Black Bear Sign
Black bear dens can be found in hollow logs, under fallen trees, or in natural rock caves. Use your nose! Black bears are reported to have a powerful "animal" smell which can linger long after the animal has left the area.
BEAR ENCOUNTER
GUIDELINES:
The American Bear Association
- If a bear approaches you, STAY CALM
- ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RUN (running may elicit a chase response in the bear)
- pick up small children so they don’t run, scream or panic
- gather the group together and restrain your dog
- let the bear know you are human; talk in a soothing voice; lift arms overhead to look bigger
- slowly back away and avoid direct eye contact with the bear
- if the bear lunges, snaps his jaws, slaps ground or brush with paw, he feels threatened-you are too close
- the bear may also suddenly rush forward and stop as a “bluffing” tactic to intimidate you to leave; momentarily hold your ground, then keep backing away and talking softly
- don’t crowd the bear; leave him a clear escape route
- retreat from the area or make a very wide detour around the bear
- if he continues to follow you, stand your ground and yell, clap your hands, wave your arms, or throw something toward him - repeat until he leaves
- as a last resort - drop something like a hat to distract him but
avoid tossing him food or your backpack as he will quickly learn
to confront other humans for food rewards
- For more information or questions, contact the Bear/Mountain Lion Aware volunteers--- Kirsten Springer and Dave Crawford 719-836-1543
CAMPING/CABINS:
- choose an open site AWAY from dense vegetation, natural food areas,
forest cover, or natural pathways Avoid messy sites
and areas with bear sign: torn apart logs, tracks, trampled brush,
scat, claw marks on trees
- secure all scented items by hanging at least 10 feet off ground
and 5 feet from tree
- restrict all cooking, eating, cleaning activities and food storage
to 100 feet downwind from tents
- do not sleep outside of tent or with any “smellables” in your tent including empty food wrappers
- NEVER LEAVE ANY FOOD SCRAPS OR GARBAGE OUT
- wash dishes and utensils immediately - dispose of waste water downwind, 100 feet from sleeping area
- always use flashlight and extra caution when moving around at night
- store all food and odorous attractants (including garbage and cooking clothes) in sealed bags or in airtight canister
- Bearproof containers for campers are available through the Internet. Go to www.BearProofInc.com
- Bird feeders (Seed Feeders & especially Humming Bird Feeders) are not a good idea they bring the bears into areas where humans are