American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

Minnesota has only one species of bear, the American black bear, and it’s a conservation success story: The state’s bear population has roared back over the past four decades.

Habitat and Diet. Black bears thrive in a variety of habitats. They live in forests, swamps, savannas, and areas with dense cover, but they can also be found on the periphery of urban areas or just about anywhere they can meet their nutritional needs without getting into conflict with humans. Black bears do best when they have access to a variety of natural foods. Over 85 percent of their diet consists of plants—vegetation, berries, or nuts. The rest is made up of insects, carrion, and newborn deer fawns.

Reproduction. Black bears have an amazing reproductive system that helps them manage long winters and variable food conditions. Females have their first litter of cubs at 3–5 years old. Black bears mate in May–July. One female may mate with multiple males. The fertilized eggs pause development and don’t implant in the uterus until the mother enters a den in November, when she has sufficient fat reserves to carry out the pregnancy and nurse the cubs into the coming spring and summer. Cubs are born in mid-January, commonly three per litter. Their eyes are closed, and they weigh only about half a pound. They grow quickly with rich milk that mom provides. The cubs wean as summer goes on and berries become abundant. They stay with mom through the next winter, and then she’ll force them on their own in May, when they are 17 months old.

Master Migrators. Most bears spend their lives within 10 to 20 square miles, but some bears will migrate up to 120 miles in fall to concentrated food sources such as berry patches or oak groves. During the fall, bears feed for up to 20 hours per day, consuming up to 20,000 calories, to gain weight for hibernation.

Status. Since U.S. society shifted from an era of “varmint” eradication toward conservation and management of the species in the mid-20th century, Minnesota’s bear population has expanded both in number and geographically. The bear population is resilient, and bear range is expanding back into areas that have been devoid of bears for a century. The species is not listed as threatened or endangered in Minnesota.

Be BearWise. As bear populations recover and more humans live in bear country, Minnesotans can take steps to coexist with these amazing critters. Never feed or approach bears. Secure food, garbage, and recycling. Remove birdfeeders when bears are active. Never leave pet food outdoors. Clean and store grills and smokers. Learn more at BearWise.org. 
—Andrew Tri and Hannah Leeper, DNR bear biologists