"Black Bear Hunting Info. . .
. . . Ursus Americanus Articles"
The American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) is the focus of our life. We
know and respect bears for the challenging animals they are. The
following article is but a tiny sample of the black bear knowledge
we have helped collect over our many years hunting this crafty beast.
Black Bear Physical Characteristics
The black bear is the smallest of the
three species of bears inhabiting North America (black,
brown/grizzly, and polar), has the widest distribution on the
continent, and is the only bear living in the eastern United States...
Black Bear Food & Habitat
Black bears require forests for
protection and food. They are amazingly adaptable...
Black Bear Reproduction
Black bears breed from May through
August, with most activity peaking in June and July. Adults are
solitary, and during the summer months males travel over large areas
to enhance their chances for encountering mates...
Black Bear Travel Patterns
Black bears lead
solitary lives, except for breeding pairs, family groups comprised of
adult females and their offspring, and occasional aggregations at
concentrated food sources...
Maine Black Bear Population
Historically, bears were found
throughout the State. Following European settlement, bears were
extirpated from the south-coastal section of Maine, from Portland
north to Penobscot Bay as forests were cleared for farming. Soils
were depleted and agriculture declined since the turn of the
century, and forests have re-grown and are once again able to
support bears... restrictions on
hunting season length have increased bear survival during the 1990s,
and the population increased to 22,000-23,000 bears in 1998...
Articles written by Craig McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Wildlife Biologist
Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
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