Most attacks by black bears are defensive reactions to a person who is too close, which is an easy situation to avoid. Over half of the suitable black bear habitat in California is in public ownership of which an estimated 10 percent is managed as either wilderness or park. Black Bear Facts. Black bears stand 2 to 3 feet at shoulders and 4 to 7 feet long from nose to tail. Despite their tendency to stay in one area, black bear excursions of up to 126 miles have been recorded. The American black bear is the smallest of the three bears species found in North America and is found only in North America. Black bear attacks on humans are rare but often begin as scuffles with dogs, experts say The dog may run to its owner for protection as the bear follows close behind. The bare facts about bears in the Golden State. However, the state is home to approximately 16,000 to 24,000 black bears, spread out across much of the state’s 155,779 square miles. NJFW. Black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains also eat insects and animal carcasses when they are available. After the California grizzly bear became extinct around the turn of the century, black bears started to appear in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (Grinnel et al 1937). A problem for black bears is that literature about bears often does not separate black bears from grizzly bears. A female bear will often have a range of 2-6 miles, while a male's range may extend over a much larger area (up to 15 miles), and overlap the ranges of several females. Eighty-five percent of a Great Smoky Mountains black bear’s diet comes from berries and nuts. General Description: The black bear is approximately 4 to 7 feet from nose to tail, and two to three feet high at the withers. General bear season closes on December 27, 2020, or earlier, if the Department determines that 1,700 bears have been reported taken. The 750,000 black bears of North America kill less than one person per year on the average, while men ages 18-24 are 167 times more likely to kill someone than a black bear. This includes bears harvested during the archery season. Black bear are the smallest of bear species in North America - grizzly and polar bears are larger. It has small eyes, rounded ears, a … Current ownership patterns allow large blocks of habitat to remain undeveloped and core areas within these blocks where bears encounter few humans. Black bear fur is usually a uniform color except for a brown muzzle and light markings that sometimes appear on their chests. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws that give them an excellent tree-climbing ability. The 2020 bear season reported harvest as of November 25 is: 803. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the state is home to only one species of bear — the black bear. Black bears usually don't travel very far. A weekly bear harvest update is also available by calling (888) 277-6398 (toll-free). Despite its appearance on the state flag, it’s been more than a century since the California grizzly bear was last seen in the state. Black bears are one of the largest predators living in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but the majority of their diet is made up of plants. The American black bear (Ursus americanus), is the only bear found in California.The California brown bear (Ursus arctos californicus), a subspecies of the brown, or grizzly, bear became extinct in the state around 1924.Although called the "black" bear, the color of these bears may range from blond to cinnamon to brown or black; on … Let's take a look at some interesting facts about Black Bears: The scientific name for a black bear is Ursus Americanus. The Department of Fish and Wildlife supplemented this natural range expansion by moving black bears into southern California during the early 1930's (Burgduff 1935). 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