BLACK BEAR DIET

Black bears are omnivores.  Insects and animal matter are less than 10% of the annual black bear diet around Ely and across most of North America.

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Vegetation is the mainstay of a black bear’s diet. They follow different nutrient concentrations, eating different plants and plant parts in different seasons. For example, they eat Aspen Catkins in April and Aspen leaves in May.

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Almost all natural bear foods are sustained by moisture.   Dry weather periods may cause a scarcity in natural food sources.  Drought.gov provides data on current and forecast moisture conditions.