By Dianna Moore

Grays Harbor Audubon Society

One of the remarkable things about living in Grays Harbor is how much wildlife we get to see and live with. How we deal with near-daily reminders of that wildlife is sometimes a bit of a stretch for those brought up in the city and transplanted out here. Most of you know of the deer issue we have in Ocean Shores, but deer are just one of our regular encounters; we also have mountain lions and the American black bear.

I had not seen a bear in my yard for 10 years when this one showed up one Sunday last month. I believe it to be a youngster, on its own for a few years now, and able to find enough food to support itself. I made the mistake of leaving a few bird feeders too low and it was able to pull the feeders down to access the black-oiled sunflower seeds. Not content with one foray into the yard, it returned for the second Sunday to push home the point of removing temptation, which I have done — lesson learned.

General Description: The American black bear can be found throughout the North American continent in increasing numbers, mostly due to its ability to live and thrive in almost any terrain and in near company with humans. It can also be found in various colors from black through blue-gray, and even white. It is smaller than the brown or grizzly bear, has shorter claws enabling it to more easily climb trees, lives approximately 20 to 25 years in the wild, measures about five to six feet long, and weighs from 200 to 600 pounds. It lacks a shoulder hump and has a broader skull than the brown bear. About 25 percent of black bears develop a white, crescent moon mark on the chest.

Habitat: This species prefers more inaccessible terrain, but it can be found almost anywhere in forested areas, swamps, high mountainous areas, or chaparral. Thick vegetation is an important requirement for cover and more frequently, humans invading bear territory have provided new food sources for the bears with garbage cans and dumps. They can be found from 1,300 to 9,000 feet elevation or even at sea level in less populated regions.

Behavior: The American black bear has better eyesight and a better sense of hearing than humans, and their sense of smell is about seven times greater than a dogs. They can also swim, even for pleasure, and they are good tree-climbers. They are territorial and non-gregarious but may be found in numbers at a food source, like a salmon run or a dump, where the largest males dominate the best spots. While they mainly forage at night, they can also be found out and about during daylight hours. They mark their territories by rubbing against trees and leaving claw marks in the bark. They communicate with various vocalizations, from the bawling of cubs to the full-throated roar of an angry male. Most noises they make are the normal sounds of communication between those familiar with one another, such as the grunting and tongue-clicking. During times of nervousness or fear they may moan, huff, or blow air. If you happen to hear one lip-popping or jaw-clicking, you need to get out of there as these are warning sounds. And in aggressive interactions they produce deep-throated pulsing sounds.

Reproduction and Development: Sows produce their first litters at 3 to 5 years, with those living nearer to developed areas starting earlier. The biggest males usually get the most females. Their breeding time is June through July, but they have a delayed development and the egg(s) don’t implant in the womb until November. Gestation is 235 days and cubs are usually born in late January to early February. Litter size is generally two or three but can number as many as six. The cubs weigh 0.62 to 0.99 pounds at birth and measure approximately eight inches long. They typically open their eyes at 28 to 40 days and begin walking at five weeks. Cubs are dependent on mother’s milk for 30 weeks and will reach independence at 16 to 18 months and attain their full growth at five years.

Diet: Black bears are omnivorous, with up to 85 percent of their diet consisting of vegetation. They generally feed at twilight, and after emerging from hibernation in the spring, they look for carrion from winter-killed animals and for new-born ungulates such as deer, elk, moose, etc. Much of their diet in spring is focused on new grass shoots, new growth of shrubs and trees, and marsh plants, often the only things available at this time. Summer is a time of berries, fruits, buds and drupes. Fall brings on the “autumn hyperphagia”, the time of great hunger and a need to prepare for winter hibernation. So the bears concentrate on what are known as “masts” — the fruit of forest trees such as acorns, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. These are the true building blocks of a bears diet. This also includes berries, birdseed, honey from apiaries, and agricultural products. In the Pacific Northwest, there is concern over the stripping of the inner bark/cambium of our forest trees. In populated areas, they raid unsecured garbage cans.

Hibernation: Black bears enter their dens in October or November after putting on an extra 30 pounds of body fat to get them through the three to eight months of hibernation, depending on the regional climate, without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating. These dens are usually dug out by the bear in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in culverts, banks, caves, or shallow depressions. During this time the bears heart rate drops from 40 to 50 beats per minute to eight beats per minute, and they consume 25 to 40 percent of their body weight and their footpads peel off, making room for new tissue. Females give birth during hibernation and are able to nurture their cubs.

When and Where to Find on Grays Harbor: I’m not sure how to answer this one as I would hope most would not be trying to find a bear but instead just happen to come across one running across a field or yard, or hanging out in a tree, with the observing human watching safely from inside a structure or car. It’s not a common sight, but they do show up from time to time to the delight and excitement of all concerned. Just keep your distance, and remember they are fast on their feet and they are good climbers and swimmers. Please be careful!