Black bearsoccur inmanageab lenumbers inthe southernAppalachianMountains andthe coastalbays andswamps ofSou thCarolina.

managed forest dominated by hardwoods containing a variety of mast-producing tree and shrub species intermixed with early successionalvegetation such as blackberries, pokeberries, etc. provides the best habi-

tat. Bears typically require extensive, rugged country with dense thickets, swamps,bays, or rock outcrops and enough area to travel having little contact with man.Limited road systems reduce man/bear interaction. Bears occasionally feed onapple trees and apiaries. They also feed upon the cambium layer of some speciesof trees.

HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

▲ Cover

Bears have a keen sense of smell and hearing, but their vision is less acute.Near areas of human activity, they often bed down in dense thickets in daytime anddo much of their moving at sunrise and sunset. Small bears sometimes use treesfor resting places. Bears go into winter dormancy about December through Marchin the southern Appalachians.

Escape cover consists of:

1. rugged terrain such as steep, rocky, mountainous slopes;

2. mountainsides laced with laurel, rhododendron, grapes, greenbrier or otherthickets;

3. extensive areas with minimal human disturbance;

4. large swamps with dense briars and canes, stream channels andstandingwater; or

5. Carolina bays and pocosins

The most important element of escape cover is protection from people,dogs, and off-road vehicles.

Black Bear

management guideWildlife Management Section

South Carolina Departmentof Natural Resources

P.O. Box 167Columbia, SC 29202

A

▲ Food

Bears are omnivorous. The bulk of their diet is hard and soft mast, insects, animal matter andsucculent plants. Timber operations and cultural treatments will largely determine food production andbear distributions.

The amount and types of food eaten by bears vary according to seasonal activities.

hard mastblackgumcornholly berriesblack cherrydogwood berriessassafrasCarolina buckthornpersimmonpokeberrygreenbriergrapesanimalsinsects

Pre-denning(Aug-Nov)

hard mastgreenbriergallberry

Denn ing(Dec-Mar)*

arrow arumgreenbriergrassespokeberrysquaw roottree cambiuminsectsanimals

Post -denn ing(Apr & May)

blackberryhuckleberryblueberryserviceberryviburnuminsectsanimals

Breeding(Jun & Jul)

* Some coastal bearsmay continue tomove during winterdenning.

▲ Water

Bears require water daily and two or moresources of permanent open water (per squaremile of range) should be available. Water holesare necessary if permanent water is notavailable.

▲ Home Range

Typical black bear densities range from onebear per square mile to one bear per sevensquare miles.

The home range of bears in the Southeastrange from 6 to 19 square miles for females and18 to 160 square miles for males. Home rangesmust include den sites, food, water and cover foradults and young. Home ranges and beardensities may vary considerably depending onavailable food sources. Mast shortages mayresult in considerable wandering, so otherimportant fall and winter foods should bemaintained at high levels to deter movementinto areas where bears are more vulnerable ortroublesome.

Avoid conversion of:

● bottomland hardwoods to pine.

● longleaf pine/scrub oak to pure pine stands

● stands already containing 15 percent pine topure pine

STANDARD MANAGEMENTPRACTICES

Black bears require very large expanses offorest. Soil disturbances create early successionwhich provide food and escape cover. During poormast producing years, bears need earlysuccessional areas. A minimum of 5,000 acres ofthis habitat is required before bear managementpractices may be of any benefit. Areas smaller thanthis may still be managed if they are close,adjacent, or connected to known, occupied bearrange.

▲ Rotat ion

In hardwood types, 110 year old rotations areadequate when den capability is retained. Standsselected for harvesting should be small (25 acres)and widely dispersed.

Retain at least 5 to 10 percent old growth inprotective zones and use inclusions.

On the coast, on wet sites where bedding anddrainage are applied, retain large, dense titi bays,pocosins, bottomland hardwoods, and swamps (upto one-third of the unit area) for escape andforaging cover. Retain gum-cypress swamps.

Retain trees with large cavities (openings 5inches in diameter or more) whenever they occurwith some sheltering stems around.

All streamside zones should be protected; 100feet in the mountains and 300 feet on the coast.

▲ Regenerat ion

No more than 10 percent of a managementunit should be regenerated in a 10 year period.Manage timber for a combination of 65-70 percentoak-hardwood mast producing age and 20-30percent early successional growth (many bearshave been trapped near clearcuts in SouthCarolina). These methods provide abundant softmast and herbaceous foods at early stages of standdevelopment.

▲ Intermediate Treatments

Thinnings encourage seed production bystimulating the development of full, vigorouscrowns and by maintaining suitable understories.The possible improvements that thinnings maymake in bear habitat must be balanced againstthe detrimental effects of disturbance and roadcreation.

In areas of thin understory development, thinearly and as frequently as silviculturally practical.Avoid use of herbicides and retain important mast-producing understory species.

Do not develop pure stands throughintermediate cuts.

▲ Prescribed Burning

Burning improves palatability and nutrition ofunderstory plants and stimulates some types offruit production. Burning cycles of 3 to 5 years inappropriate habitats reduce large sprouts to newgrowth and remove much of the “rough” thatsuppresses desirable herbaceous growth.

OTHER SPECIES THATBENEFIT FROM BLACK BEARMANAGEMENT

Numerous other game and nongame species withhabitat requirements similar to bears benefit frombear management. Rather than focusing solely onbears, management plans should emphasize thecommunities of which bears are a part.

The following are some of the species that canbenefit from black bear management practices:

gray squirrel

white-tailed deer

great-horned owl

pileated woodpecker

raccoon

wood duck

American redstart

ruffed grouse

DIRECT IMPROVEMENTS TOHABITAT

With an appropriate distribution of harvestedstands, developed openings are not necessary.Openings may be used to produce fruiting shrubs suchas blackberries or planted to supplement winter foodsupplies (corn, wheat, or clover) where extensiveimmature pine or hardwood stands prevail.

Release, prune, fertilize or establish fruit or nuttrees (such as mulberry, apple, persimmon, andpecan).

In stands selected for harvesting, retain andrelease some groups of large diameter trees with thepotential to develop elevated cavities in remote areas.One of the main purposes of bear management is tomaintain the availability of suitable winter dens.

Access to areas managed for bear, as well assurrounding areas, should be limited. There should bea maximum of one mile of road per five square miles ofhabitat. Roads can be closed using gates, tank traps,or large rocks. Logging roads should be closed andreseeded following harvests.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion,disability or age. Direct all inquiries to the Office of Human Resources, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, S.C. 29202.

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