Oconto Falls

Home Range

Territories are established by adult females during the summer. Temporal spacing is exhibited by individuals at other times of the year and is likely maintained through a dominance hierarchy system. Males establish territories that are large enough to obtain food and overlap with the ranges of several females. There has been record of some bears traveling hundreds of miles. Only to turn around and go back to the exact spot they started from. Black bears have an incredible sense of direction. The normal home range for a dominant male bear could range from 20 to 30 square miles.

Dewey, T. and C. Kronk. 2007. "Ursus americanus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 14, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ursus_americanus.html.