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WorksheetsThe Black Bear
Total questions: 56
Worksheet time: 30mins
Why are black bears non-aggressive?
The most aggressive have been hunted over 100's of years
The most docile were hunted which gave their genes
They lack the fight instinct in their brain
The most aggressive evolved into grizzly bears
Which of the following things shouldn't you do if you run into a bear?
Make eye contact
Back up slowly
Remain Calm
Stay facing them
What is a black bears natural response to danger?
To run and climb up a tree and hide
To fight
To play dead
To swim in a lake
Black Bears are good at what things?
Climbing
Seeing
Swimming
Smelling
What is the average size range for a male black bear?
650lbs
400lbs +
150-300lbs
1%
When are black bears their largest?
Spring
Late Fall
Mid Summer
Dead of Winter
Are all black bears black?
No, however Less than 1% in the Northeast are not black
Yes, that's why they are called black bears
No, almost 80% of them in the Northeast are brown, blonde, or cinnamon colored.
True or False: I should run if I encounter a black bear
True
False
True or False: A sign of aggression from black bears are if they stand up.
False
True
True or False: I should throw rocks and tease a black bear if I hope to ward them off.
True
False
What are the signs of an aggressive bear?
Grunting/growling
Pawing the ground
Chomping their teeth together
Standing up
If a black bear shows signs of aggression what should I do?
I should make as much noise as I can
Look as big as possible by opening my coat and standing tall
Turn my back to them and run
Climb a tree
If a black bear gets aggressive and he charges and stops shy of me, what is this behavior called?
Bluff Charge
Chickening out
If going out for a hike in a high density bear area it might be a good idea to bring what with me?
Bear Spray
Beef Jerky out of a sealed bag
Bells to scare the bear(s) away
A birthday cake to give to them
If you're going camping what are some good behaviors to practice to minimize my chances of bad interactions with bears?
Keep a clean campsite
Keep food at least 200 feet away from my tent
Keep food in an air tight container
All the above
When studying black bears biologist look at these 4 things
Reproductive Success, Vulnerability to Hunting, Habitat Requirements, and Individual Bears over Time
The size of the bear, Their Pigmentation, Where they Live, and What they Eat
The size of bears, Their habitats, Reproductive success, and Vulnerability to Hunting
What 2 things must biologists do in order to study individual bears.
Catch the bear
Identify the bear
Talk to the bear, interrogate it.
Tranquilize it
What are some ways to catch bears? (3 options)
Culvert Trap
Leg Trap (food snare)
Tranquiler Gun
With a "bear net"
How do biologist identify bears?
Radio Collars
Ear Tags
Tattoos on their upper lip
By calling their name
Radio transmitter collars are great for what reason?
They last 2 years
They fall off easily
Bears can destroy them
They don't stay on as well as ear tags
Why do biologists tattoo the upper lips of black bears?
Just in case their radio collars or ear tags fall off
Just in case the bear forgets its name
To look tough enough to get into the salty spatoon
Just in case kids switch ear tags and radio collars on a couple of bears
What do biologists look for when studying a black bear?
Age
Weight
Sex
Home Range
The home range of a male bear is about ________ and a females is _________
60 sq mi and 10 sq mi
10 sq ft and 60 sq ft
50 sq mi for both
Idk, but I bet the female's is bigger
When do female black bears reach sexual maturity? (When can they have babies)
At 4 plus years of age
After 2 years of age
At age 13
At the age of 1.5 yrs
A female bear can only be breed every.....
Two years
Year
Third Year
Odd years only
How long do free loading cubs live with momma bear?
Typically 1.5 yrs
.5 yrs
Typically 2.5 yrs
Several days
Whitetail deer stay in Estrus for only 24-48 hrs, how long does a black bear stay in estrus?
Several Weeks
Several Days
Several Months
Year round
What is a bears gestation is how long?
6 months
9 months
12 months
I mean technically fetal development only occurs for 6 weeks but gestation is 7 months.
Why is fetal development only 6 weeks in black bears? (2 answers)
Eggs are fertilized during mating season, but do not implant on the uterine wall until December which causes fetal development
Eggs can only be fertilized in December even though they were bred months prior
Who knows and who cares
Bears have delayed implantation
When is bear mating season?
Mid-May to Mid Sept.
Mid-Oct to Mid Dec
When is the Peak of the black bear mating season?
June
4th of July
Christmas
Nov 15th
True or False: Black bears will only leave their home range if food is scarce but even then they will return home.
True
False
True or False: We can age black bears by growth rings in their first molar.
True
False
Baby black bears are called what?
Fawns
Colts
Cubs
Piglets
Male Bears are called what?
Boars
Sows
Cubs
Female black bears are called what?
Sows
Boars
Cubs
Male black bears can get so aggressive to females and their cubs so much so that they might...
Kill the cubs
Kill Momma bear
Eat the cubs
Kill both momma bear and her cubs
Why do male black bears kill cubs?
So that momma bear will enter estrus and he can mate with her
So that he can have an easy meal
So that they don't challenge him for territory when they grow up
When are cubs born?
Early to late January
Late March to Early April
During the month of November
June
Newborn Cubs cannot do what?
See
Hear
Smell
Taste
Newborn can do what?
Move away from cold toward warmth
Locate mothers' mammary glands because it is the warmest are on a mothers' body
See
Smell
A cub typically weighs how much at birth
12 ounces
12 lbs
25 lbs
6 lbs
True or False: Baby bears are the smallest newborns in relation to a mothers' weight with the exception of kangaroos
True
False
Bear cubs nurse and sleep in the den and will weigh about how may pounds in the spring?
1lb
5 lbs
12 lbs
50 lbs
Cubs learn to climb trees when?
Almost as soon as they leave their den
Within a few months of leaving the den
Within the next year
What might momma bear do in bear speak to tell her cubs to climb a tree?
Woof
grunt
groan
bark
Cubs are weaned during this month?
June
July
Oct
April
True or False: Cubs can live on their own by the age of 6 months
False
True
True or False: Momma bear does not den with her cubs during their first winter
True
False
In the spring, after one year with the cubs, momma bear will often do what?
Run off her cubs and she will go off on her own
Tell the cubs to get a job if they want to continue to live with her
She runs off cubs and returns to them a few days later to give them a taste of living on their own to prepare them to live independently
She runs off her cubs because they have disappointed her
Male cubs when they split from mom travel how far to ensure that they will never run into a related female again? (this ensures no inbreeding)
80 miles
50 miles
10 miles
250 miles
How many bears can be supported in PA? (Biological Carrying Capacity)
20,000
7,500
12,000
2 million
How many bears can PA handle given its cultural carrying capacity?
20,000
7,500
2 million
12,000
True or False: There are more black bears in PA, NJ, and NY now than at anytime in the 19th and 20th centuries
True
False
True or False: NJ is home to the densest population of bears in the country.
True
False
How many black bears are estimated to live in Northwest NJ?
2,800
5,000
7,500
20,000
