Black Bear Information

Habitat and Feeding:
Black bears live throughout North America, from Mexico to Alaska. However, Canada offers the best opportunity to hunt bears in their natural habitat. Ontario, in particular, boasts the highest black bear populations and concentrations in North America while being as remote as almost any place on earth. Bears prefer thick woods, swamps, clear cuts, and hardwoods for feed and cover. In my leased area, over 85% of a black bear's is vegetation, green leaves, grass, dandelions and a large variety of berries. The other 15% consists of ants, grubs, fish, and other meats that they can scavenge. Like most animals, black bears vary their diet according to season and food
availability. Unlike grizzly and brown bears, black bears have adapted well to man and often thrive in our presence.

Behavior:
Bears are generally at the top of the food chain. This makes them confident, but cautious. Generally black bears do not attack humans. We are more of a curiosity than a threat or a food source. However, there is a level of danger involved in hunting these powerful creatures.

Bears in my area are active all day long, with the most active times being in the afternoon and evening. We have very few night feeding bears as we do not over pressure them, or force them to become night feeders by over hunting any one area. An order of dominance is established among bears. This order is often easy to determine by the many vocalizations and noises that bears use to inform other bears of their social status. One of the most common tools that a black bear uses to inform other bears of its size is the popping of its jaws. Bears do this by clapping their together as hard as they can. The louder and deeper the popping, the larger the bear. Larger bears easily drive smaller bears away with nothing more than a good, whole hearted popping of its jaws, or a deep grunt. This action prevents face-to-face confrontations.

At times, hunters can have bears popping at them, as well as other bears. They want to let you know who the boss at that bait site is. Watch when multiple bears are in view, and you will see that just by using their body
language, each bear knows its place in the pecking order. North American black bears can climbs trees with ease and are able to move in almost perfect silence through the bush. Their soft feet and soft ground make branches and logs the only source of noise. Most bears are seen before they are heard. Hunters must stay alert!

Size and Appearance:
Black bears are one of the hardest game animals to judge the size of. They may range from 130 lbs. as a two-year-old, to 600+ lbs. as an adult. Some exceptional bears have weighed in at more than 800 lbs.! Because of their thick coats, and anatomical structure, the judging of size can be a difficult task. Some of the best indicators of size are the ears and legs. Ears stop growing at a young age, while the skull continues to grow. Thus, a bear with ears that appear small compared to the size of the head are generally larger bears. The larger the ears generally the smaller the bear. The front legs also can give a good indication of a bear's size. The bigger boars have not only larger front legs, but also have a larger chest and all around front end than the smaller bears and sows. Sows are normally either equal front to rear, or the back half is larger that the front. Contrary to popular understanding, the distance from the ground to the belly and the height are not always the best indicator of size. Bears are like people, there are tall bears, short bears, fat bears and lean bears. There are many other indicators that we will go over in camp before your hunt begins that will help everyone judge the sizes of bears.

Ontario black bears are often slightly lighter in weight due to the long winters. They can lose up to 40% of their body weight with the combination of a poor fall berry crop, and a long hard winter. Yet, in Ontario with its vast remote wilderness areas, bears do have the opportunity to live a longer life span than bears living elsewhere. Black bear record book status is measured by skull size, which only comes with age. As a result, a lighter weight bear from Ontario may make the record books, while a bear of the same body size from other areas may not. Equally important, the food sources of the bear greatly impact the flavor. Wild bears are much better than "dump bears". The table fare of an Ontario wilderness black bear will rival the finest game meat prepared.

Bear Facts:
Not all black bears are black. They may be some shade of brown, or their fur may have a silver or white sheen. Many have a patch of white fur on their chests commonly referred to as a blaze. Cinnamon or brown phase black bears are rarely seen in this area. While bears are tough, strong animals and often use slow, deliberate movements, they do possess a speed that will shock you. They have the ability to be at top speed in a matter of two or three bounds. The black bear's reflexes are deceptively fast!

Hunting Tips:
To successfully hunt black bears you should first understand what you are hunting. Most big game we peruse, such as whitetails, mule deer, elk, antelope, and others, are prey animals. Prey animals, by instinct, react to everything around them as a threat. The first instinct for a pray animal is to run away from anything out of the ordinary.

The black bear by contrast, is a predator. Like all predators they have the ability to think and reason. Hunting bears is not as easy at it seems. They are smart and use their thinking abilities for defense as much as offense. More often than not, a bear will know a hunter is present, even if camouflaged, still, quiet and using the latest in scent blocking technology! A black bear has a far better sense of smell than any whitetail! They will often circle a stand before coming to the bait, often unbeknownst to the hunter. Despite knowing there is a hunter present, they will still come into the bait site. Not because they lack knowledge, but because they are the hunter, not the hunted. The biggest fear of black bears, aside from us hunting them, is the fear of other bears.
Nothing else hunts them. Most of the time they have no fear of humans because they have not encountered them before. Some bears do, however, have a fear of the unknown.

Once again, I look at black bears and liken them to people. With their ability to think and reason, each bear has its own personally, outlook, and attitude. That means the only thing that is predicable about black bears is that they are unpredictable!!!

As I stated, field judging the size of a bear is a difficult task, but an equally difficult task is tracking them after the shot. Because of their thick hair and fat, a blood trail on a bear is rarely very strong. My guides will use tracking dogs to follow the trail long after the blood has run out or dried up. Every effort will be made to ensure that every fatally hit bear is recovered.

I truly feel that my first responsibility is to the hunter's safety. My second responsibility is to the bear's safety. If we, as hunters, do not respect and care for the game we are hunting, then we have no right to hunt it!!!

Firearms Tips:
Hunters are generally well served with guns used for deer or elk hunting. I prefer rifles to be .270 at a minimum, shooting 150 gr. or heavier bullets. The .30-06 with 180 gr. bullets is a perennial favorite. Shotguns should use slugs, and rifled slug barrels shooting sabots are preferred. Muzzleloaders should be .45 caliber or larger, and should shoot heavy conical or sabot bullets with the maximum accurate load of powder. Low-power or variable scopes are preferable, as our firearms shots are from 25 yards to 80 yards. Guns should be sighted in dead-on at 75 yards.

The Ontario laws state:
*All firearms must be in a case after dark.
*Handguns are not allowed in Canada!!!
*The following CANNOT be used to hunt black bears:
**Rimfire rifles
**Shotguns smaller then 20 gauge
**Any shotgun using pellets smaller than #1 buckshot

Archery Tips:
I prefer most bowhunters to shoot bows of 55 lbs or higher. However do not shoot a weight so that you lose your accuracy!!! Compounds, recurves and longbows are acceptable. An entry and exit wound greatly increases the ability to find a downed bear. We have encountered some problems with mechanical broadheads not opening and breaking blades. I would prefer the use of a fixed blade broadhead.

For bowhunting black bears, the Ontario law states:
*Draw weight must be at least 48.5 lb. at a draw length of 27.6 in. or less.
*The arrow length must be at least 23.6 in.
*The arrow head (broadhead) must be at least .87 in. at the widest point; and, there must be at least two cutting edges of straight, sharp, unserrated, barbless, steel blades.

Most shots are at 10 to 20 yards. Practice shooting from elevated stands, while wearing hunting clothing. In most cases, accuracy is more important than poundage!!!

Along with the above mentioned laws, a hunter orange vest and hat are required when traveling to and from your bait site. This applies to all hunters. These may be removed once you arrive. Both bow and gun hunters must case their weapons within 1/2 hour after dark.

Shot Placement Tips:
For both gun and bowhunters, the target on a bear is behind the shoulder 1/2 of the way up the body. A hit here will impact the heart, lungs and possibly liver, ensuring a quick and humane kill. Hits in the shoulder or spine with a gun are usually fatal and may reduce the distance traveled by the bear. However, these bone structures will likely stop an arrow before getting to the vital organs. A quartering away shot will allow the hunter a larger target and greater chance at getting to the vital organs. When taking a quartering away shot if you use the opposite side front leg's elbow as your target, you will place the perfect shot. If available, a broadside shot is just as good. Upon arrival at The Bears Den, Ron or your guide will cover shot placement
and anatomy.

General Information:
Skinning a bear and quartering it is the best way to bring a bear home. This allows the quarters to be frozen and easily handled. The hide can be frozen as well and wrapped in burlap. The Ontario Government imposes a CDN$35 fee to export a bear. The Bears Den staff will guide you in skinning and preparing your bear for transport. Bear meat is a unique treat unlike anything else and black bear rugs are an impressive sight!

While the mountain areas of the west are known as "big country", this is sometimes called "small country". Visibility is often extremely restricted. It is very easy to get turned around and lost in the local forests. Make sure people know where you are going and when you'll return. The Bears Den does a head count every night to ensure that everyone is accounted for.

Traveling on the local logging roads can be hazardous as well. Logging trucks have the right-of-way in all circumstances. They produce large dust clouds which severely limit visibility. Drive slow and wait for them to subside. The time spent waiting is well worth it.

This area of Ontario offers unequaled opportunity to view wildlife in a natural setting. Moose, wolves, birds, and of course black bears, are often visible. Keep your eyes open, and your camera handy. If you don't, you may miss a once in a lifetime memory. The Bears Den staff can recommend particularly good places to observe nature at its best. In general, staying alert will help make your hunt more enjoyable and keep you out of a dangerous situation.