Black bears tend to follow an annual 5 stage cycle of behavior. The most well known is of course hibernation, when the bears going into a phase of continuous dormancy. They lower their heart rate and metabolic rate, using up to 4,000 kcal per day, and do not drink, eat, or use the bathroom throughout the period. They may breath just once every 15-45 seconds, and their heart rate can drop to 8-21 beats per minute.
Bears need to put on a thick layer of fat to prepare for this period of dormancy. In the fall, their body goes into a phase called “hyperphagia”, during which their drive to eat is sent into the stratosphere. For them to reach the desired weight for hibernation, they’ll eat ten times as many calories as what they eat during the spring and summer. They move to eat, sleeping usually no more than three or four hours a day while staying hyper-focused on finding as much food as possible.
This can present problems with humans, as they’ll work hard to access human food if they can find it, and they might not even notice people right near by. If a black bear is successful in finding food, it’s body will drive it to eat around 20,000 calories a day and they’ll gain a ton of weight, like the animal below.
Since bears have such a strong drive to find food during this period, remaining bear aware if you live in or are visiting bear territory is incredibly important. This means properly storing food and removing attractants. Read more on being Bear Aware below:
Colorado Parks & Wildlife Tips To Remain Bear Aware:
Bear-proofing your home:
- Keep garbage in a well-secured location. Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
- Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors: ammonia is effective.
- Keep garage doors closed. Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside.
- Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
- Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths. Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
- Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off.
- Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.
- Clean the grill after each use, and clean up thoroughly after cookouts.
- If you have fruit trees, don’t allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
- Talk to your neighbors and kids about being Bear Aware.
Cars, traveling and campsites:
- Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
- Keep the bottom-floor windows of your house closed when you’re not at home.
- Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
- When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
- Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
- When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
- Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.
Protecting your chickens, bees, livestock:
- Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night.
- Construct electric fencing when possible.
- Don’t store livestock feed outside.
- Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
- Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent.