The American black bear (Ursus americanus) at one time roamed nearly every one of the continental US states, as well as most Canadian provinces. This species is still the most populous bear in the US, though it has a more restricted range, primarily due to over hunting.
Black bears are likely to be found, if they aren’t hunted out, anywhere there is suitable food. Since this bear is an omnivorous predator, this means they are capable of living nearly anywhere. They will eat fish, hunt animals, and are comfortable with eating carrion, vegetation, and even insects. They do require access to water, however.
They are also surprisingly fast and powerful creatures, well capable of outrunning a horse over a short distance or ripping open a log to get at food inside.
Most American black bears are now confined to areas of dense forests, where they have shelter, a steady food supply, and are less likely to be killed by the predation of man. These creatures can also survive at altitudes of greater than 6,000 feet (about 2,000 meters), and over winter well in places that get substantial amounts of snow in the winter.
This is even more amazing because bears do not actually hibernate; they merely slip into a deep and prolonged sleep. This means that they require a correspondingly larger amount of food than does an animal, such as a rodent, which does truly hibernate. However, it also means that in the middle of winter, in a break between storms, it isn’t uncommon for them to awake and to go foraging before once again returning to slumber in their dens.
These black bears aren’t restricted to the cold high country, though. In the past, American black bears widely roamed the mountains of the southern states as well. Though the population isn’t nearly as large as it once was, they can still be found there, and even in the mountains of Northern Mexico. They are also found in the areas of the southeast that often get steamy and hot during the summer.
Further, while these bears distrust man and will avoid contact with human kind when possible, they are in no way frightened or intimidated by people. Because of this fact, there are only a few places in the US that can’t or aren’t inhabited by American black bears. This can often lead to unfortunate interaction between the humans and the bears. Usually during these encounters, man is on the losing end of the interaction.
Still, these animals prefer areas where they can hunt and forage in peace. Since their shelter needs aren’t great, and the plants and creatures they eat are many in wilderness areas, the largest concentrations of American black bears are found in wilder places, such as the forests of Montana and Oregon.
According to the Oregon department of fish and wildlife, in 2009, there were an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 black bears in the state, mostly but not exclusively confined to the Cascade Mountains. Amazingly, to some, bear/human encounters in Oregon are rare, but it is understandable considering the low human population and the amount of land that people seldom go to. The state is in fact quickly becoming one of the most bear populated states.
It is actually easier to say what habitat American black bears can’t or haven’t lived in, than it is to identify what habitat they have, and do, live in. These interesting creatures live almost everywhere that they aren’t massively hunted.
