Northstar's Black Bears

Black Bear habitat exists throughout California's deciduous and conifer forests. Northstar™ Resort is home to at least a dozen of these large mammals. You may have seen one wandering through your property or crossing one of Northstar™ Resort's streets.

Grizzlies also once roamed the lands of California, but they were hunted to extermination in the 1920's. It is the Grizzly, however, that is immortalized on the California state seal and flag. The Grizzly is also the mascot of the University of California at Berkeley. Today, only Black Bears exist in California. The Department of Fish and Game estimates a population of 16,000 - 24,000 occupying about 40,000 square miles.

Though they are called "Black Bears," they may not be black. They range in color from black to cinnamon or blond and many have a white blaze on their chests. Bears are solitary creatures with a distinct territory that may range up to fifty miles. Although they appear cumbersome, they are strong swimmers and fast sprinters, able to keep pace with horses and outrun men. They are also quite adept at climbing trees. Their ability to see and hear is not remarkable but their sense of smell is extraordinary. It is this sense of smell that guides them to wide varieties of food sources. Bears are nocturnal and do much of their foraging at dusk.

The peak of their eating frenzy occurs just before they den for the winter. At this time, they consume up to 24,000 calories a day. This allows them to layer on fat cells to carry them through to spring. The bear diet consists mainly of twigs, berries, nuts and roots supplemented by grubs, worms, carrion and an occasional mouse, bird, or other small animal. Since their diet is so varied, the forests are able to support a large bear population as food is plentiful.

Females give birth to cubs while denning and usually have two cubs, each weighing about 12 ounces. However, if the female has an abundance of fat cells, she could produce three or four cubs. The cubs stay with their mother through the following denning season. They are then sent out to fend for themselves as adventurous two year olds. When fully mature, males weigh 250-500 pounds and females weigh 200-450 pounds. Bears can live as long as 25 to 30 years in the wild but their usual life span is about 10 years.

Black Bears are fairly shy animals and will avoid confrontation when given the opportunity. According to a Public Broadcasting Station Weekend Explorer publication, "Black Bears should be treated with the utmost respect at all times, but very rarely attack. You are thousands of times more likely to be killed from exposure to sunlight than to be killed by a bear."

©2008 Northstar Bear League Team