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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.

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Information provided by the Wildlife Research Institute and members of the BearTeam

All seasons

Large-leaved Aster

Spring

Large-leaved Aster

Larvae of Termites, Bees, Yellow Jackets, Hornets and Wasps

Spring, Summer, Autumn

Larvae of Termites, Bees, Yellow Jackets, Hornets and Wasps

Lowbush Blueberry

Summer

Lowbush Blueberry

Mountain Ash

Autumn

Mountain Ash

Mountain Maple

Late Winter

Mountain Maple

Pin Cherry

Summer

Pin Cherry

Quaking Aspen

Late Winter

Quaking Aspen

Raspberry

Summer

Raspberry

Red Maple - Seeds

Spring

Red Maple - Seeds

Round-leaved Dogwood

Summer

Round-leaved Dogwood

Skunk Cabbage

Spring

Skunk Cabbage

Snowflea

Late Winter

Snowflea

Tent Caterpillar

Late Spring, Summer

Tent Caterpillar

Water Parsnip

Occasionally Eaten

Water Parsnip

White Clover

Spring

White Clover

Wild Calla

Spring, Summer

Wild Calla

Wild Lettuce

Spring, Summer

Wild Lettuce

Wild Sarsaparilla

Summer

Wild Sarsaparilla

Wild and Woodland Strawberry

Summer

Wild and Woodland Strawberry

Willow

Late Winter

Willow

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