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Black Bears |
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Ursus americanus |
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Black Bears |
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Ursus americanus |
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5 in. L X 5 in. W |
7 in L X 5 in. W |
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Black Bear Tracks |
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Front track on the left. Hind track on the right. Claw marks do not always show. |
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Black bears are the smallest American bears, and the most common. They are the only
bears found in the wild in California. Although the grizzly bear is the state mammal, it
has been extinct in California since 1922.
Black bears are usually nocturnal, but can be active during the day. Bears are strong, agile, and quick. They swim and climb trees well. A bear can run 30 miles per hour in short bursts.
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| Bears eat a wide variety of foods. A partial list includes: grass, leaves, nuts, berries, buds, twigs, roots, corn, fruits, insects, plant sprouts, invertebrates, fish, carrion, fruit, succulent plants, eggs, birds, small mammals, and human garbage. Bears will dig up underground wasp nests to eat the insects, nest and all. They are extremely hungry when they emerge from their winter dormancy period in the spring and will often strip the bark off trees to eat the sugary cambium layer. The bears in the region do not hibernate all winter, but they do sleep away the harshest part of winter. Bears den in logs, beneath fallen trees, and in caves. Several days before entering the den, a bear consumes roughage, including leaves and bits of its own hair. These form a plug up to a foot long in the digestive system that is voided after the bear emerges from the den. | |
| One or two young are born during the winter, usually in January or
February. They weigh ˝ pound at birth and grow quickly by nursing on the mother's milk,
which can contain as much as 20% fat. Bear droppings are over an inch thick, and tubular. The scat varies with diet, which can be 90% vegetable matter. Bears are shy animals and will usually run from humans. They sometimes raid human garbage, compost piles, or pet food dishes that are left outside. The inner toe in the track is the smallest toe. Bears walk plantigrade or flat-footed. Bears use the same trails over and over for generations. They tend to place their feet in exactly the same place every time they use the trail. You can find these trails where each footfall is in a depression worn into the ground by the passage of so many bears over the years. The stride is about 36 to 42 in. The most common walking trail pattern is at right. |
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Black bear trail pattern |
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| Claw marks left by a black bear on an apple tree. In late summer, when the apples are ripening, the bears use them as a food source. There are many old abandoned orchards in my area and they provide a regular food source during the right season, just before winter and the scarcity of food that comes with it. The determine which animal left the claw marks, count the number of claw marks. Five is usually bear, but they don't always leave all five! So be careful when trying to make an identification. Use all the clues available. Ask yourself why the animal would climb the tree? For food, shelter, to hide from a predator? The sharpness of the claws will also help. Cats have narrow, sharp claws. Bears' claws are not as sharp. | |
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| Two hind tracks from black bears. The longer heel will sometimes show in the hind prints. Not always though, so be careful in your identification. Look closely at the gait as well as the placement of the feet. This will help you tell front from hind tracks. Notice the lack of claw marks on these tracks. Black bear tracks do not always show their claws. | |
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A hind bear track on a dusty dirt road. |
A nice cast from a footprint left in deep mud. The details, such as the fur on the side of the foot, are even visible here. |
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| Bear scats made up of mostly seeds and berries. There are also a few wasp exoskeletons in the one on the right. Bears love to dig up the wasp nests and eat them. These scats are loose and formless due to the moisture content of the diet. | |
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| This bear scat is more firm and holds its shape. The diet here was drier than the berry diet above. |
A nice hind track in fine dust. |
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A pair of bear tracks in river sand. These tracks have been worn by the wind until they are mere depressions. However, you can still make out the distinctive shape of the footprints. The hind foot, on the right, shows nice definition of the toes. Ruler is 12 inches long. |
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Bears Getting Into Trouble |
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| The lid of a dumpster raided by a bear. The bear got up on top and managed to bend the plastic lid to get at the tasty garbage inside. Notice the black garbage bag on the ground in the background. The smudges on top of the lid were caused by the bear. Although the heavy metal bar was across both lids, this didn't stop the bear. |
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This plastic jelly jar was removed from the dumpster above by the bear. It was completely licked clean after it was gnawed open. I heard something making a crunching sound in the brush, but it was dark outside and I couldn't see the culprit. I grabbed a strong flashlight and air horn and returned. The bear heard me coming and meandered out of the brush. One blast of the air horn was enough to convince it to leave. I found this jar and some other garbage the next day, during daylight hours. The air horn was very effective in scaring it off. I found its tracks once more near the dumpsters that summer, but not since. I also had the dumpsters replaced with more bear-resistant ones. |
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So, how do you keep bears out of dumpsters and garbage cans? First,
dumpsters are difficult to secure as bears are very strong animals. Even a
raccoon can climb atop a dumpster and insert a paw between the lids in
that little crack. They can pull trash out and make a mess. Bears that get
used to getting into garbage often turn into problem bears. In many
places, this means the bear will end up getting shot. Once a bear learns
this behavior, it never forgets. So, even if that bear is trapped and
relocated someplace else, it will likely become a problem in the new
location too. Thus, wildlife managers will often resort to killing problem
bears. This is the policy in many national parks. The best way to
keep the bears safe is for the humans who visit their homes to keep their
food and garbage locked up where bears can't get into it. If you
go camping or hiking, use bear-proof canisters to secure your food. Pack
out all garbage and dispose of it in bear-proof containers only. When you
cook, cook away from your campsite. Don't sleep in the same clothes you
wore while cooking as there will be cooking odors in the fabric. Don't
dispose of food scraps by throwing them on the ground. If possible, burn
them in your campfire. Hang your food from a tree at night. If you are
camping in a car campsite, there should be bear-proof food storage bins in
your campsite. If the park does not provide them, ask the staff if it is
safe to store food in your vehicle. In some areas, bears have not learned
to get food out of cars yet, so this would likely be safe. The staff at
the park should be aware of the best way for visitors to secure their
food. In other places, like Yosemite, bears know how to get food out of
cars, so don't leave anything edible in the car. This includes scented
items like toothpaste. Even a candy wrapper could attract a bear. Their
noses are highly sensitive!
If you live in bear country, ask your garbage collection service to provide you with bear-resistant containers. The dumpster in the photos above was replaced with one with solid metal lids. It makes it more difficult for people to lift the lids, but it also keeps the bears out fairly well. These dumpsters didn't cost any more than the old ones with plastic lids. You may also be able to obtain more sturdy curbside bins from the collection service. If you know when your bins are picked up, you can place them outside right before that time and thus minimize the time that garbage is outside where a bear could be attracted to it. |
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A black bear that visited the campsite of a friend of
mine. These are the photos she got. |
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| The bear above did not exhibit much fear of humans. If a bear does this, it is probably becoming habituated. Once this happens, the bear could become a problem bear, coming into campsites and tearing them apart for food, or getting into garbage. To prevent habituation, make noise, bang pots together, throw rocks at the bear, use an air horn, or use a slingshot and marbles. The idea is to make the bear uncomfortable around people. Don't let the bear become used to being around people and getting food from their campsites. Once a bear learns this behavior, it will probably be killed because they never forget, and the bear will return again and again. Due to the potential for injury to humans, most parks simply kill the problem bear. Save a bear's life by properly storing your food and garbage at all time when in their habitat! Never try to take food from a bear that has raided your campsite, and never approach an aggressive bear. Let it have the food and let the park staff deal with the bear. | |
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Bear Scat Aging Comparison |
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Fairly fresh bear scat. It was two days old in this photo. |
Same scat 20 days later. It is beginning to fall apart and lose moisture. |
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More Bear Scats |
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| Black bear scat composed mostly of blackberries and their seeds. Bears feast on these early in summer before other foods are ripe. |
Bear scat with blackberry and cherry pits. |
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A large black bear scat composed entirely of apples. There is an old abandoned apple orchard near here and the bears feast on them in late summer. In the lower left corner is the scat of a gray fox. Foxes often deposit their scats on top of bear scats. Perhaps it's a way of marking territory. |
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Bear Tracks Compared to Human Tracks |
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| It has been said that bear tracks resemble human tracks. With that in mind, I thought about making a comparison to my feet. When I found these perfect bear tracks in nice deep dust, I couldn't resist. Off came my shoes and I got my feet (and hands) dirty. Here are the results. Do bear tracks look like human tracks? | |
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| The hind feet of a black bear compared to the "hind" feet of a human. The human track is longer and the toes are not as curved. The bear's heel is narrower. The front part of both feet does show a resemblance. Bears do not always show their claw marks. The heel also does not always leave an imprint. | |
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| Comparison of a bear's front foot with a human's "front foot." The resemblance to human feet only seems to apply to the hind feet! :) |
The left hind track of a black bear in fine dusty soil. Some claw marks show in this photo. |
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A nice clear left hind track in dusty soil. Notice the marks left by the fur on the bear's foot and arm surrounding the track. |
Right hind track in firmer dusty soil |
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Two right front tracks from the same bear. Claw marks are visible on some toes. Fur also left an imprint all around the tracks. |
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Right hind print - one day old. |
The same right hind print as in the photo at left, but this one is fresh. Notice the crisp edges of the track and the imprints left by fur. By the next day, these are gone, rounded off by wind and gravity. |
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A comparison of the feet of an adult and a cub. The cub's hind foot at left is smaller and less worn than the adult's front foot at right. |
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| A pair of black bear tracks. The lower left is the left hind foot. The upper right is the right front foot. The front feet toe in more than the hind feet, which tend to have a straighter line of travel. |
Right hind track in firm soil |
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| A comparison of sun angle on viewing tracks. The bear trail to the left was photographed with the tracks between the photographer and the sun. At right, the trail was photographed with the sun at the photographer's back. While the trail is visible, the best contrast is achieved by looking at the tracks with the sun on the opposite side of them. | |
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Personal Notes on Black Bears
I never lived in bear country until about eightteen years ago, when I moved to northern California. Black bears are abundant here. No grizzlies live in California (except in zoos). The last California grizzly was shot in 1922 in Tulare County. In Humboldt County, where I live, the first explorers through the area encountered numerous grizzlies as they made their way south. This was in late 1849 and early 1850. In fact, one of the explorers was attacked by a grizzly near the present-day town of Miranda.
I have seen several black bears close up. One was raiding my garbage cans one night. I heard noise outside and opened the door to see what it was. I startled the bear, who ran about 50 feet, then climbed up a tree and clung there, looking at me and grunting. I went back inside to watch what it would do. It climbed down from the tree and cautiously approached the garbage again. I flung open the door and the bear took off running. (Don’t try this at home.)
The next bear I saw was a young one that had developed a taste for food from campsites that were unoccupied. (This happened in the park where I work summers.) I was working in the campground entrance one day when two guys came up and told me they’d seen a bear about 50 feet down the road. I went to look and, sure enough, there was the little bear. He stood still, thinking I hadn’t seen him. When I began to move down the road, he took off running for the brush. He stopped after a short distance and put his paws up on a tree as if to climb. When he realized I wasn’t following him, he sauntered off into the brush.
This same bear gave me an entertaining summer following his trails around the campground. Bears are fairly habitual and will stick around an area where there is easy food. This one decided that he liked the sort of foods people bring camping. He established a network of trails all the way around the campground perimeter, just out of sight. He’d keep himself hidden in the thick brush or up on an abandoned road that ran up a hill behind the camp. When someone left food out in a campsite, he would scurry down and grab it and cart it back up the hill, where he ate the prize.
His trail system provided him a highway between two campgrounds and some of his favorite resting areas. The best bear day bed that I’ve ever found was one this bear used. It was an old apple tree, overgrown with blackberry vines, and surrounded by brush and grass. The tree had a large, horizontal limb that provided the bear with a hammock in which to lounge away the warm summer days while he nibbled apples from the tree, or berries from the vines. The creek ran not 20 yards from the bear’s hangout, providing fresh water anytime. It was the perfect bear hangout. It has been used several years in a row now.
I find bears challenging to track because their feet are relatively flat. They walk plantigrade, or flat-footed. You would think that such a large animal would leave huge imprints. Actually, they don’t. Most of the time, the tracks I find are indistinct flattenings of the soil. It's like tracking someone walking around in their socks. Every once in a while, I find a nice clear print showing all five toes and maybe the claws. Usually the claw marks are not visible. And, sometimes, the fifth toe doesn’t make an imprint. Tracking bears is like tracking barefoot humans. There are no sharp edges on the feet to leave distinct impressions on the ground. I’ve made plaster casts from numerous bear tracks. Recently, I made a cast of a print in fine river silt. The cast shows the hair on the foot! Bears are intelligent animals and their trails will yield endless hours of entertainment, if you are willing to spend the time. You’ll learn a lot about bears just by following their tracks. It’s time well spent. |
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| Plaster cast of the hind track of a young black bear. This is from a mold. Note the short claws and the shape of the heel pad. Claws do not always show in tracks. | |
| The garbage in this photo was left behind by a black bear who raided my dumpster one night. I was outside and heard a crunching sound coming from the brush. I had found bear tracks earlier, so I knew who was probably out there in the brush. I got my air horn and flashlight and quietly made my way closer to the sound. The bear stepped out of the brush and I hit the air horn. That bear jumped and took off running! The way to keep bears out of your garbage it to re-educate them by making them think the garbage is an "unfriendly" place. Noise is a good way to do this. You have to start the bear re-education program before the bears have become used to getting into your garbage, otherwise, it's probably too late to re-train them. |
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These five claw marks were left by a black bear that tried to get into a dumpster full of smelly garbage. Bears love to get into garbage and are able to open the plastic lids on dumpsters easily. |
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These log stumps were torn into by a black bear. |
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This tree was climbed repeatedly by a black bear cub. The claw marks are two years old in this photo. This tree is located next to a trail leading to a small (3 campsites) primitive campground in northern California's redwood country. The bears were seen frequently that summer and one tent was ripped open by a bear trying to get food while the people were away from the campsite.
The Bear in the Yard - A True Tale |
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| A friend of mine is a park ranger at one of the California redwood state parks. He lives right in the park and has many species of wildlife that visit. One day, I went to visit and, as I drove up to their gate, I saw a covey of quail on the grass. I got out the camera and took a couple pictures of the quail. I had not looked up toward the gate because I was distracted by the quail. As the quail flew off, I turned my attention to the gate. Looking through it, I saw a big dark shadow under a tree moving. Sure enough, it was a bear! I got out of the car, walked up to the gate, and started taking photos of the bear. This was a black bear, the only species of bear found in the wild in California. |
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The bear was happily feeding on pears that had fallen off a tree in the yard. These trees are part of an orchard left over from the builders of the house, who lived here before the land belonged to the park. |
| The park's campground is just across the road that is visible behind the bear in the photo below. Occasionally, bears visit the campground in search of scraps of food. The park has a bear management program which includes requiring campers to properly store their food in bear-proof lockers, disposing of waste in bear-proof garbage cans, and not feeding wildlife. The rules are strictly enforced because bears are intelligent animals. Once a bear learns it can get food from people, it will keep coming back for more. By educating the campers about how to camp in bear country, bear problems can be avoided. | ||
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The fence that completely encloses the yard is meant to keep out the elk, who live on the prairie here. This is the first view I had of the bear. It didn't seem bothered by my presence at first. I stayed on my side of the fence and took a few photos. The bear must have decided it didn't like being watched because it decided to leave. It climbed up on the fencepost behind it in one big leap. (Black bears climb very quickly.) It then dropped down on the other side and bounded away. Take a look at the two videos below to watch the bear feeding and jumping the fence. | |
VIDEO: Black bear feeding under a pear tree. (632K) |
VIDEO: Black bear jumping over the fence and bounding away. (539K) | |
Got a bear story? E-mail me and tell me about it.
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All counters on my site reset in October 2000.
Copyright © 1997-2008. Text, photos*, and drawings by Kim A. Cabrera - Desert Moon Design
*Except otherwise noted: Bear pictures from The Bear Den
Page updated: January 2, 2008
Find bears and bear tracks items in my new store. Greeting cards, hats, calendars, posters, t-shirts, stickers, clocks, and much more. Custom bear products are available. Just send me an email with your request.
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Now available: "Animals Don't Cover
Their Tracks - An Introduction to Animal Tracking" on CD! (Version 3.0)
New drawings, more species, more photos, more extensive sections on tracking
humans, more detailed directions for plaster casting, mystery tracks section,
tracking stories section, and more. The CD features over 100 species, including
special bonus sections with the tracks of some African and Australian
animals. A large section on tracking lost people for search and rescue is
included, with over four pages of photos showing the details of tracks and
signs people leave. Easy to use format. This web site is limited
by bandwidth, but the CD-ROM is not. The CD is available in my online store at:
www.dirt-time.com
Works with Mac or PC. Happy tracking!!
What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's animal tracks coloring book, T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you! |
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