Behavioral Ecology of Black Bear Damage to Conifer Stands

Black bear (Ursus americanus) feeding damage to conifer stands can result in substantial economic losses. However, little is known about which sexes or ages cause the most damage and the effectiveness of current control methods. We examined frequency, intensity, and total conifer damage by radio-monitoring 13 male and 9 female black bears from 1998 to 1999 to determine which sex and age classes caused the most damage. We also examined which sex and age classes were being affected by control measures (hunting) to determine the efficacy of management actions. Females were associated with higher frequency (P = 0.078), intensity (P = 0.092), and total conifer damage (P = 0.015) than other sex/age classes. Adult males were associated with lower frequency, intensity, and total conifer damage than other sex/age classes. Adult males comprised the majority of bears removed by hunting (66%), but caused only 11% of total damage. Current damage control measures do not appear to be as effective as they could be. We recommend that current hunting practices be re-examined as a mechanism for damage control.