The Marion Natural History Museum hosted a community program on December 8 on the topic of the American Black Bear. Speakers Jason Zimmer and Stephen Wright from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife discussed bear populations across the commonwealth, lifecycles, denning and food sources. They also discussed the importance of minimizing the opportunities for conflict between us and this magnificent, apex predator.
The black bear is the only bear that populates Massachusetts with males weighing in approximately 450 pounds and females 140-170 pounds. Zimmer said that bears larger than average are bears that have found other food sources such as bird feeders regularly replenished. The average life span for these small(ish) bears is around 25 years.
The bears are heavily distributed throughout the northern region of North America into the Canadian Rockies. Zimmer said during colonization of North America these bears were almost hunted to extinction. With hunting regulations in place for decades, black bears have recovered. Data actively collected since 1972 demonstrates the slow growth in bear populations, including southeastern Massachusetts. Currently registered hunters may harvest one bear per season.
An interesting point was made when Wright said that black bears have traditionally populated the western part of the state. He said that there are far fewer bear sightings called into authorities in the Berkshire area than in the southeast region.
“People are accustomed to seeing the bears out there than around here,” he said.
Most local sightings are called into police departments, versus game wardens or animal-control services, and, as happened recently, a single male bear scouting our territory in and around Cape Cod was likely to have been the same bear being seen numerous times. The agency estimates 4,500 bears live primarily in Worcester County and west.
Making a sustainable living means finding food. Black bears are omnivores, eating both vegetation and meat. In the spring, they can be found in swampy areas, eating early leafy greens such as skunk cabbage, one of their favorite foods. Farmers beware: Bears love corn. Zimmer said that a single bear can wipe out a field of corn, leaving behind crushed stalks resembling crop circles.
Mating occurs between mid-June and mid-July, depending on the availability of food. Babies are born in January. The female will neither eat nor drink during the denning season. And as for those dens, they can be hollowed-out, fallen logs, borrowed burrows, jumbles of rocks or a simple tree stump. These bears will even curl up beside a berm of fallen leaves with snow covering their thick coats.
The point was made that bears aren’t really sleeping during hibernation. It is a process of slowing down the metabolic systems during seasons with little food availability. The unspoken rule – don’t poke the bear – it’s really awake.
Zimmer cautioned the attendees to secure trash barrels against bears seeking food scraps including but not limited to placing barrels inside garages or outbuildings. Other precautions to help avoid bear to human conflicts are feeding pets indoors, keeping barbecue grills clean and free of grease and using electric fences to protect beehives and chicken coops. To learn more, visit mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-black-bears.
By Marilou Newell