Black Bear Program

Black bears are generally black with a brown muzzle and commonly have a chest marking called a blaze. This blaze can be as little as a few white hairs to a large white patch. Black bears are compact and strong boned with small eyes, small round ears, and a short tail that can vary from 3-6 inches in length.

Average body weights of black bears are 150-400+ lbs for adult males and 100-250 lbs for adult females, though much larger individuals have been documented in Mississippi as well as throughout the southeast. Black bears range from 3-6 feet long from nose to tail and 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder. Females generally reach full size at 5 years of age, while males will not reach their full potential until 8 years of age. Both sexes can continue to increase in body mass as they get older.

Black bears have relatively poor eyesight but possess acute near-vision and can see in color. Black bears are referred to as "plantigrade" (meaning they walk flat on the soles of their feet similar to humans), with short, non-retractable claws on the end of each of their five toes. They are able to run at speeds of up 35 mph and are exceptional swimmers. Black bears are very intelligent animals with a keen memory and a phenomenal sense of smell.

North American Range

The black bear's range covers most of the North American continent.  They are found in Alaska, much of Canada and the United States, and extend as far south as northern Mexico.

Mississippi Range and Population Status

There are two subspecies of black bear in Mississippi: the American black bear, in the northern part of the state, and the Louisiana black bear, found in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Most of the bears in the state are found along the drainages of major rivers such as the Mississippi, Pearl, and Pascagoula, although bears can and have been known to show up just about anywhere. In more recent years, bears are beginning to move north from the coast and east from the Mississippi River. At one time, most of the bears found in the state were likely transient males that wandered across state lines. They were the dispersing products of breeding populations of bears that border our state in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama.

For black bear populations to grow and their overall range to expand, expansion of breeding females is key. Since 2005, the MDWFP has documented the births of over 30 cubs in the state. This is a major milestone, as prior to 2005, there had been no documentation of cubs for 40 years. MDWFP biologists currently estimate the Mississippi bear population to be about 150 bears in the state, which is a major improvement over the estimated 40 individuals in 2002.

Black bears are currently found in three general areas within the state: the Gulf Coast, the Loess Bluffs of southwest Mississippi, and the Mississippi River Delta. Range sizes vary depending on habitat quality. The average home range for an adult male bear is roughly 20,000 acres, while the average home range for an adult female is roughly 5,000 acres. Home range for black bears is influenced by several factors.  Habitat type, sex, age, season, environmental conditions, food availability, and population density all play a significant role in determining size and shape of a bear’s range.  Range sizes typically increase during the summer mating season and during fall when bears are foraging heavily to build fat reserves.

Sightings

Black bear sightings in Mississippi have been on the rise in the last few years, especially during the early summer when yearling bears are dispersing to establish a home range and breeding season for the adult bears occurs. Not only is the actual number of bears increasing, but public awareness has increased as well. The majority of sightings have come from counties bordering the Mississippi River and from coastal counties such as Jackson, Harrison, and Stone.

Each year, however, more sightings are occurring towards the central part of the state. Almost everyone that reports seeing a bear or bear sign on their property is genuinely excited about the possibility of having a bear in the area. To tell the truth, most of the people who report bear sightings have likely had bears in the area for years. They would never have caught a glimpse of these shy creatures, though, without being made aware of them through the use of motion-sensor cameras.

Movement

Movements within the range of a bear are primarily for meeting habitat needs and finding potential mates. Bears are most active from dusk through dawn and will often use daybeds during daylight hours. Mothers with cubs often rest at the base of a tree so, if disturbed, she can send the cubs into the safety of the tree.

As with many other factors relating to bears, movement is related to time of year. Immediately after emerging from the den, bears exhibit decreased activity while the remainder of fat reserves are used. Bears become more active throughout the spring as more food becomes available. During the late spring and early summer, bears are at one of their most active times of the year. This is due to a few different factors, including the transition from spring to summer forage; yearling bears (primarily males) being pushed away from the mother, who is ready to breed again; and the breeding season being in full swing. During the fall, bears are also active, as they are searching the landscape for food to build fat reserves to last them through the coming winter.

Bears use many different kinds of habitats within their home ranges. While they may use mature hardwood forests for hard mast and den trees, bears also benefit from cutover areas that provide escape cover and soft mast food sources. Studies have shown that bears favor areas with the least amount of disturbance from humans, yet another testament to their shy nature.

One of the leading factors in the decline of Mississippi black bears since the turn of the century is habitat destruction and fragmentation. The once majestic bottomland hardwood forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) have been reduced to scattered and isolated remnants of their former glory. Many of the vast swamps and lowland areas, which served as safe havens for thousands of bears throughout Mississippi, have been drained and cleared so that the fertile black soils can be used for agriculture. By 1980, more than 80 percent of the bottomland hardwood forests of the MAV had disappeared.

However, over the last few decades, habitats for bears, as well as countless other species of wildlife, have been on the mend, especially in the Delta region of the state. Through government programs, such as the former Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) (Currently the Wetland Reserve Easement, WRE) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), thousands of acres of marginal farmlands have been planted in bottomland hardwood species of trees. These replanted areas not only provide increased habitat for bears but also serve as corridors linking isolated patches of hardwood forests found on public and private lands throughout the Delta.

Black bears are classified as carnivores; however, this is largely misleading as they are not active predators and have been documented to have a diet consisting of as much as 96% plant material. In fact, black bears are the least predacious species of all North American carnivores. Biologically speaking, black bears are omnivores, but they are primarily vegetarians.

Black bears are opportunistic feeders and are quite lazy when it comes to finding food. Bears will take full advantage of any easy meal that is provided to them, including carrion (animals that died of other causes), wildlife feeders, and household garbage. A black bear's digestive system is poor at breaking down vegetation, and as a result, they must consume large amounts of food to gather the nutrients needed for survival. With the large amount of time black bears spend foraging, their movements across the landscape and habitat usage are closely related to food. The excellent memory of a black bear comes into play with food sources, as they will remember areas with ample forage and will revisit it until the source is no longer available.

Black bear food selection can be broken down into sections largely related to seasonal changes, which dictate what is available on the landscape.

Spring

During the spring, bears often use fat reserves left from the denning season and may be in a state of fasting for some time. Post-den emergence is when food sources are most scarce; bears will feed on residual hard mast, and green vegetation as it becomes available. Grasses and forbs make up the majority of a bear's diet in the spring, and they have been known to frequent food plots consisting of wheat, oats, and clover. Bears will also move fallen logs in the forest to find insects such as beetles and larva.

Summer

As early season plants become less desirable, bears begin to seek out soft masts such as blackberries, pokeweed, red mulberry, etc. Holding true to their feeding habits, bears prefer foods such as fruits and berries that do not move around. Bears also feed on a variety of insects (which can total as much as 15% of their summer diet), including yellow jackets, honeybees, bumblebees, and carpenter ants. Just like in the spring, bears will dig into old stumps and move logs around to find insects.

Fall

In the fall months, the bears' diet changes from a dominance of soft mast species to hard mast species such as oaks and hickories. However, in years of poor hard mast production, soft mast fruits still play a vital role in a black bear's diet. Hard mast species are vital in the fall, as this is the time of year bears exhibit their most weight gain in preparation for the winter. Hard mast is rich in fat and carbohydrates and is vital for bears in producing fat reserves that will ensure the bears enter the denning period in good health.

Agricultural Crops

Ag crops can also play a supplemental role in black bear diets in Mississippi. This is especially true in fragmented habitats, such as those found in the Mississippi Delta. Black bears are commonly observed feeding on grain crops such as corn and sorghum during the summer and crops such as wheat and clover in the early winter and early spring. In agricultural areas, bears' diets in the summer can be comprised of as much as 50% corn and in winter can be as much as 60% wheat and oats. Black bears have also been documented feeding on rice crops in Mississippi and Arkansas.

Male black bears typically reach sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years of age. Females generally breed for the first time at 3 to 6 years of age and will give birth every other year. Age of sexual maturity for both males and females is largely dependent on habitat quality.

Females come into estrus as early as late May and as late as August, with the peak of breeding taking place in July. Females will remain in estrus until they breed or until ovarian follicles begin to degenerate. Dominant males may mate with several females in an area. A dominance hierarchy determines access to females, with older, larger males displacing younger males.

Black bears exhibit what is called "delayed implantation". This means that after breeding, the fertilized egg remains in a state of suspension for about 5 months before implantation occurs and the fetus development begins. Fetal development takes place for 6-8 weeks before the cubs are born. Total time from breeding to cub birth is a little over 7 months. Cubs are born in winter dens during January with litter sizes ranging from 1 to 5. Cubs weigh only 8 ounces at birth but will weigh 4 to 5 pounds when they emerge from the den in April. Cubs will stay with their mother for 18 months before dispersing.

If a female's litter is lost prior to late summer, she may come into estrus and breed again, producing consecutive-year litters. Females may also deviate from the alternate-year cycle if they are not in sufficient health or nutrition to come into estrus during a particular year. Years of poor food production can cause reproductive failure within an entire population.

About Denning

Black bears are not true hibernators but rather enter a period known as carnivorean lethargy, or "torpor". The primary purpose of this extended sleep is to survive food shortages and extreme weather during the winter months. During winter dormancy, black bears exhibit several physiological changes, including a decline in body temperature, a 50% decrease in metabolism, a decline in heart rate to 15-30 beats per minute, and approximately a 25% reduction in fat reserves.

Denning Bears in Mississippi

Denning is not required for all bears in milder climates. With the exception of pregnant females, which must den in order to give birth, bears may remain active if sufficient food is available. Mississippi black bears typically have a shorter denning period and show greater winter activity than in other regions. This shorter duration is believed to be a function of greater food availability during winter months. Pregnant females typically will be the first to den, followed by females with young from that year, solitary females, and finally males.

Once the females have denned, they generally remain there until the onset of spring unless they are disturbed. In some cases females may show some limited activity, leaving the cubs in the den to forage in the area around the den. Males have been documented to spend as little as a few weeks in the den before resuming activity. Upon emerging from the den, the reverse is seen, with males becoming active first, and females who have recently given birth being the last to end their denning season.

Den Types & Locations

The type of den used by black bears in Mississippi varies greatly depending on the specific area in which the bear lives. Bears will use trees, standing snags, ground nests, logs, stumps, and piles of woody debris, and will excavate dens under trees, logs, or human structures. Tree dens are typically located along rivers, sloughs, or lakes and are made in cavities of bottomland hardwood trees, such as bald cypress or oak. In areas that are prone to flooding, elevated tree dens are preferred, especially by pregnant females, since they offer protection from the unpredictable floodwaters. However, in both higher ground and floodplain areas, concealment is generally the primary factor in black bears choosing a den site.

Black bears can live for over 25 years in the wild. Because black bears are such a long-lived animal with low reproductive rates, adult mortalities are especially harmful to growth and persistence of small bear populations like we have in Mississippi. Mortality of black bears can be attributed to both human and natural causes.

Natural causes of mortality include disease, cannibalism/infanticide (adult bears killing one another/adult bears killing cubs; both typically by adult males), drowning, maternal care accidents, and climbing accidents. Human-induced causes of mortality include habitat destruction, hunting, trapping, poaching, vehicle collisions, electrocution, and deaths associated with research activities. The highest mortality within a black bear population occurs from the time of dispersal (about 18 months of age) until sexual maturity and establishment of a home range (about 3 to 5 years of age).