Size: In Michigan, adult female black bears range from 100 to 250 pounds, and adult males weigh between 150 to 400 pounds. Adult black bears measure about three feet high when on all fours, and are about five feet when standing upright. Black bears have enormous appetites and an excellent sense of smell.
What is the biggest black bear in Michigan?
The current Michigan record black bear, with a skull measuring 23 inches, was killed by Sharon Agren in Montmorency County while she hunted with hounds in 1997. Agren’s bear had a dressed weight of 488 pounds.
Where are the biggest bears in Michigan?
CALEDONIA, Mich. — A hunter from Caledonia found out his name is going in the Michigan record books. It’s for one of the largest bears in state history that he came across while hunting last September in Manistee County.
Where are most black bears in Michigan?
Habitat:
- Black bears are most frequently found in large, heavily forested areas.
- As black bears continue to move into the southern Lower Peninsula, it has become clear they can inhabit a highly fragmented landscape, provided some forested areas exist, especially along riparian zones.
Are Michigan black bears aggressive?
That’s usually around the spring-summer months. Just last year the Michigan Department of Natural Resources got similar reports of a black bear like this one in the same area but it’s usually not a cause for panic. “Black bears are not aggressive and they do have a strong natural fear of humans,” Leightner said.
Does Michigan have grizzly bears?
The only species of bear found in Michigan is the black bear. Michigan’s forestland in the Upper Peninsula provides the ideal habitat for the species, with ample food and plenty of cover.
What state has the biggest black bear?
Bear Facts
- Coastal NC has the world’s largest black bears.
- The Albemarle/Pamlico Peninsula has the highest black bear densities in the world.
- There is an average of 4 bears per square mile here.
- The current world record black bear is from Eastern NC and weighed 880 lbs.
How far south are bears in Michigan?
State DNR wildlife technicians and biologists say 90 percent of the bears are in the Upper Peninsula with most of the remainder are in northern Lower Michigan. But bears are now being spotted as far south as the Indiana border.
Does Michigan have moose?
Moose are currently found in two areas of the Upper Peninsula: the reintroduced population in Marquette, Baraga and Iron counties, and a smaller remnant population in the eastern UP, found primarily in Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce and Chippewa counties.
What time do black bears come out?
Bears are usually active from dawn to dusk, but they may be seen any time of day or night. Bears in many places of high human use have become nocturnal in order to avoid people.
What counties in Michigan have black bears?
Approximately 15,000-19,000 black bear roam Michigan forests. 90% of these bear are found in the upper peninsula with the remaining 10% found in the northern portion of lower Michigan. This includes Leelanau, Antrim, Grand Traverse and Benzie counties.
Does Michigan have mountain lions?
Cougars, also called mountain lions, were originally native to Michigan, but were extirpated from Michigan around the turn of the century. The last known wild cougar legally taken in the state occurred in 1906 near Newberry.
How do you scare off a black bear?
To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
What to do if a bear is chasing you?
Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell.
Are black bears scared of humans?
Bears are normally wary of people, but if a bear finds food without getting frightened away, he may come back for more. Each time this happens, he can become less fearful—and this habituation can lead to problems.
What do you do if you see a black bear?
Alter your route or back away slowly, preferably in the direction you came. Walk, do not run, and keep your eye on the bear so you can see how it reacts. In most cases, the bear will flee. If the bear walks toward you, act boldly, yelling and throwing something at it.
Are there Wolverine in Michigan?
There are currently no wolverines in the Wolverine State (other than a few in Ann Arbor). The last known specimen is in the stuffed animal collection of Gary Kaberle of Traverse City; it was killed in the 1860’s. As far as is known, there is no evidence that wolverines were ever commercially trapped in Michigan.
Where are the wolves in Michigan?
Roughly 700 wolves live in Michigan, all in the Upper Peninsula, according to the DNR’s latest count in 2019-2020. Wolves roamed the state in the early 1800s. They vanished from the Lower Peninsula in 1935 and had virtually disappeared from the Upper Peninsula by the early 1970s.
Are there polar bears in Michigan?
Someone’s attempt to break up the winter doldrums with humor was taken seriously by enough people that the urban legend-debunking website Snopes.com felt compelled to weigh in, declaring the alert false. “Polar bears are arctic animals that live in the northernmost parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Norway.
What state kills the most black bears?
A new analysis released by the Center for Biological Diversity found that Texas, Oregon, Minnesota and California are the states where the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife Services killed the most black bears, mountain lions, wolves and bobcats in 2015.
What states have no bears?
The overall population of American black bears in the United States has been estimated to range between 339,000 and 465,000, though this excludes populations from Alaska, Idaho, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, whose population sizes are unknown.