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Louisiana Black Bear

Black bears hold a special place in the folklore of Mississippi. Historical accounts describe bears as “common” throughout the bottomland hardwood forests of the state’s major river drainages in the early 1800s and were considered extremely valuable as a source of food, fur and oil.

Mississippi is home to two subspecies of black bears. American black bears (Ursus americanus) are found in northern Mississippi while the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) can be found in the southern two-thirds of the state as well as Louisiana, eastern Texas and southern Arkansas. Black bears were listed as endangered in Mississippi in 1984 and the Louisiana subspecies was listed as federally threatened in 1992. Overhunting and habitat loss were the primary reasons for the population decline in Mississippi. Today, biologists estimate the state’s bear population at around 30 to 40 animals, primarily found in the Mississippi, Pearl and Pascagoula river drainages.

Louisiana black bears are generally black with a brown muzzle and often have a white blaze of hair on their chests. Adult males weigh from 200 to 400 pounds while adult females can weigh from 120 to 200 pounds. Body lengths can range from 3 to 6 feet from nose to tail. Size typically varies based on quantity and quality of available foods.

Female bears usually begin having cubs when they are 3 to 5 years of age. Cubs (usually 2) are born in winter dens (hollow trees, logging slash piles or ground “nests”) in January or February and do not emerge with their mother until April or May. Cubs will stay with their mother throughout the year and will den with her during the following winter. The family reemerges the following spring and will stay together until summer when the young disperse.

Black bears are not true hibernators but go through a period of winter dormancy called carnivorean lethargy. During this time, the bear exhibits a slower metabolism and will not eat, drink or eliminate waste from its body. All waste products are recycled through unique metabolic and physiological processes. Most bears are easily aroused if disturbed while denning.

Although the Louisiana black bear is classified as a carnivore, they are not active predators. The majority of a bear’s diet is comprised of seasonal plant materials such as grasses, acorns and berries. The animal component of a bear’s diet is primarily insects, grubs and carrion. Agricultural crops such as corn and wheat are also important components of a bear’s diet, especially in fragmented habitats.

Louisiana black bears prefer relatively large areas of forested habitat that provide escape cover, travel corridors and a diversity of natural foods. Home range size for bears is influenced by sex, population density, food availability and reproductive status. Movements by bears are based primarily on the search for food and for available mates during the breeding season. Male bears move much greater distances than females and can have home ranges of more than 40,000 acres while females may occupy an 18,000-acre range. Older male bears may force younger males out of their territory and cause them to disperse. This dispersal puts them at considerable risk as they cross roadways into unfamiliar territory and come into contact with humans.

This article was written by Brad Young, Black Bear Biologist with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.