Forestry practices are continually evolving, which changes the world the bears live in and the food they depend on. Just ask the Brewer woman who shot a video of one in her backyard. The northcentral county is perennially the top producer of bears in Pennsylvania. When feeding on a concentrated food source, bears may use areas as small as several acres; when searching for dispersed food or mates, they can cover several miles in a day. North Maine Woods Black Bear Hunting. About 30,000 black bears (Ursus americanus) live in New England. These goals are set about every 15 years. State biologists estimate there are roughly 75,000 moose roaming Maine’s rugged landscape—the largest concentration in the country next to Alaska. While the number of bears harvested by hunters each year is known, the number dying from other causes and the numbers entering the population must be determined by our research. See More: Tracking Maine Black Bears | Photos. By the time bears in Maine reach 2 years of age their survival exceeds 90%, and nearly all deaths of adult bears are due to hunting or other human-related causes. The spring represents a period of food stress, as most bears emerge from the den. Female bears in Maine become sexually mature at 3-5 years of age. Augusta, ME 04333-0041, Mailing Address: We ear-tag many males while trapping and in the dens as well. Male black bears can weigh up to 600 pounds but average about 250 to 350 pounds, while females grow to only 100 to... 3. This assessment (PDF) provides the scientific basis for management goals. They supplement with insects (including beetles, ants, and bee larvae) and the occasional fish, small mammal, bird, or carrion. There are only black bears in the wild of the Granite State. The remaining 25% comes primarily from hunting and fishing license sales. Even with the additional permit, permit numbers haven’t returned to previous 2000 levels (Table 1). The abundance of many types of bear foods are affected by weather, which makes predicting the food supply and cub production difficult from year-to-year. Cubs enter dens with their mother the following fall. There are many of them but they don't want to be seen. Thus, the general nature of the forests of northern Maine and the bear foods they provide are very different now than they were years ago, and most likely will be different in years to come. Bears are active in late fall as long as food is plentiful. All of our collared female bears are visited each winter in their dens, which allows us to determine the number of cubs born. By 1900, they were gone from the Adirondacks. The funds from this federal tax (known as Pittman-Robertson funds) pay for about 75% of the cost of the program. Each field season of data collection still reveals unexpected surprises. 6. Bears in Maine utilize a wide assortment of natural foods, and the food types that are available in each study area are quite different. And of course we hope you will consider Northern Pride Lodge for your Maine bear hunt. Maine is home to more than 35,000 of the bears, up from just 23,000 less than 15 years ago. Since 1990, Maine’s bear season framework has remained fairly constant with a 3-month fall hunting season that opens the last Monday in August and closes the last Saturday in November. The fall documents a period when bears are feeding intensively to build fat stores for surviving a winter of fasting. Bears walk flat-footed, and their broad feet leave 5-toed tracks that sometimes resemble human footprints. Today, hunting pressure is more evenly distributed across the bears' range in Maine. A large part of our bear monitoring program involves trapping and radiocollaring bears in late spring and early summer. Bears are … When beechnuts were the primary fall food for bears in northern Maine, most cubs were born in odd-numbered years in response to alternating years of high beechnut crops. We use data collected from annual harvests and telemetry studies to guide bear management decisions in Maine. No. 9. Black bears breed from May through August, with most breeding activity peaking in June and July. Our management goals and objectives are set by interested members of the public that have reviewed and discussed the latest MDIFW bear assessment (Public Working Group). These marked males offer additional information regarding their movements and mortality when they are re-encountered through hunter harvest, roadkill or our own trapping efforts. How do biologists determine the proper number of animals that needs to be harvested? Black Bear sightings in Maine in April, May, and June are not uncommon, but the sight of one can certainly be unexpected. For years, there haven’t been enough bear hunters taking enough bears in Maine, so the number of bears in Maine has doubled over the past 35 years, and is now estimated at 35,000. Most conflicts with bears can be prevented by removing common food attractants around homes. This setting should only be used on your home or work computer. We have found marked differences in reproduction, survival, and recruitment between study areas as well as within study areas over time while habitat and weather conditions change. 284 State Street To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. Most involved bears wounded by, and later approached by, hunters. Unless you’re in Maine and you know exactly when and where to look. A rise in permit fees in 2003 (resident $5.00 to $25.00; non-residents $15.00 to $65.00) and the down turn in the US economy have likely contributed to declining resident and non-resident hunter participation in recent years. According to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s website, Maine is home to the largest population of black bears in the lower 48 states and they are most active from April 1-Nov. 1. Males stand about 40 inches tall at the shoulder; females seldom exceed 30 inches in height. Right now, there is a yearling black bear wandering around the Southwest Harbor area, getting into some mischief as it looks for food. Starting in 2008, trappers and non-resident deer hunters are required to purchase a permit to harvest a black bear. Black bears mate during the early summer months. Each fall, bear hunters enter the Maine woods in hopes of harvesting a black bear. The Department's bear monitoring program is an ongoing source of information providing biologists with the information necessary to properly manage this valuable wildlife resource. Fatal bear attacks in North America have occurred in a variety of settings. A map from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shows Arundel to be in the "peripheral range" of black bear movement. There are many bear outfitters or bear guides to choose from. Since 1975, we’ve monitored bears in four separate study areas across the state. This diet is supplemented with insects, including ants and bees (their larvae, adults, and honey), and occasional mammals and birds. (BDN) -- Are there mountain lions in Maine?There have been frequent reports about mountain lion or cougar sightings in our state, and always they seem to be met with doubt or outright debunking. Bear biologist Randy Cross knows that gathering field data is the best way to protect the future of Maine’s bears. Although bears eat meat, their diet is primarily vegetarian, including early greening grasses, clover, and the buds of hardwood trees in the spring, fruits and berries in summer, and beechnuts, acorns, and hazelnuts in the fall. Forestland ownership and market conditions are constantly changing as well, which also impacts forest resource management. In 2004, the Stacyville study area was discontinued and a new study area was created in Downeast Maine (northeast of Beddington). One of our most celebrated and treasured animals is the black bear. A big part of managing bear nuisance problems involves modifying human behavior to lessen the number of negative bear/human interactions. Since black bears do not have any natural predators, it would be very easy for the population to grow to an unsustainable level, leading to starvation, disease, and death. Bear cubs are born with blue eyes, which turn brown during their first summer. 10 Things to Know About Maine Black Bears 1. Black bears are found in most forested areas from Mexico north to the edge of the tree line in Canada and Alaska. Bears are sometimes injured or killed in vehicle collisions. In addition, Maine has a small human population (1.3 million) that is mostly concentrated in the southern third of the state where bear densities are lower and therefore bear-human conflicts are less numerous. The first part of any management program is to have clear goals and objectives. Email us, Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Rulemaking Proposals Open to Public Comment, Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Reptiles and Amphibians, Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Invertebrates, local Game Warden or Regional Wildlife Biologist. In Maine, black bears are found nearly statewide, but are most common in northern and eastern Maine and are rarely found in the heavily settled southern and central-coastal regions. https://mainehuts.org/discover/blog/3-most-dangerous-animals-maine-woods In order to maintain a stable bear population, we must have a good understanding of the number of bears entering the population (recruitment) to replace losses. Bears are not true hibernators, but instead enter torpor, a state of dormancy during which their body temperature and metabolic rate drop. [1] However, that doesn't mean they won't enter towns and neighborhoods. Maine is home the the black bear (Ursus americanus), but there are may color phases of them- black, blonde, cinnamon, brown, even blue (in western Canada). Because males often damage their ears while fighting, we also tattoo their inner lip for a permanent mark. Although most black bears are not much larger than humans, their weight can vary tremendously with the season of the year. 1. This long period of parental care leads to females bears producing litters every other year. Nutrition plays a major role in determining the number of cubs that are produced, and cub survival through their first year. We tag the ears of all cubs and yearlings to identify them. Females use areas of 6-9 miles squared in Maine. In 2001, the Department set new management goals and objectives to direct bear management through 2015 based upon the recommendations of a public working group representing diverse interests. Bears are opportunists, and feed on a wide range of vegetation and animal matter. At that time, the Spectacle Pond area was lightly hunted; whereas, bears in the Stacyville area experienced heavy hunting pressure. Table 1. Bears are compact, with stocky legs, small eyes, short, rounded ears, short curved claws, and a short, inconspicuous tail. 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