Today's Bear and "Bear Routes" Question

[Waumbek]

I have been watching a mid-sized bear, probably a yearling, for the last two weeks or so. It crosses my field every 2-3 days. It was just here this morning. I have seen it at all different times of the day. But it always enters at the same spot, goes to the same area and plops down to browse on plants there for 10-15 minutes, and then ambles off diagonally across the field to exit at a consistent place. At least it does so when I've seen it, maybe 7-8 times in the last few weeks. It's a delightful show, and fortunately this is a bear that stays a good distance from the house. I can barely see it now in the high growth of the field.

I know bears have regular "routes." I can recall warnings out west in grizzly territory not to camp on "known bear routes." But I cannot find much info about black bear behavior vis a vis their routes. Clearly they have consistent patterns of movement, as this bear witnesses. How often do they visit a given route? How long are the routes? Do they share routes or are they territorial possessions? I assume these are feeding routes but don't know. I'd appreciate any info.

 

[DougPaul]

I believe black bears tend to be territorial. Male territories are larger than and may overlap female territories.

Doug

 

[Chip]

I guess like most things: "It depends".

Food is usually too scattered for adult black bears to feed together, so black bears usually travel alone except for mothers with cubs. Adult females defend territories for themselves and their offspring, including their independent offspring from the previous litter or two. Those offspring live in subterritories within the mother's territory. Mothers' territories are 2 to 6 miles in diameter. Adult males have larger ranges because they must find mates as well as food. Their ranges cover 7 to 15 female territories. Male ranges overlay those of other males because their ranges are too large to defend. A male will compete for mates and will mate with as many females as he can. Old males usually have many scars on their heads, shoulders, and forelegs from fighting over females. Old females carry few scars because they have fewer occasions to fight.

They occasionally fight to defend their territories, especially when cubs are involved, and have even killed trespassing bears. Young black bears behave as if their greatest fear is a strange, large bear. Young bears have occasionally been killed and even eaten by adult males or females.

Bears may forsake their solitary behavior where food is unusually abundant. At garbage dumps, bears gather and form orderly hierarchies with some of the bears becoming partners that wrestle and travel together for days at a time. Other bears fight over the food, especially in years of food shortage.

Some bears forage entirely within their usual ranges. Others leave temporarily in late summer or fall and move up to 126 miles away. Cubs with traveling mothers remember feeding areas they visit with their mothers and sometimes return to the best of them as adults. Traveling bears return to their usual ranges in fall or soon after emerging from hibernation the next spring.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I know bears have regular "routes."

And I believe that they must have excellant memories as well. They obviously remember where they got food last time. That is one of the things that can cause them problems.

Keith

 

[Waumbek]

Thanks, Chip, for the useful info about bear ranges.