Do black bears prey on other animals?
White-tailed deer fawnWhile insects comprise an important part of a black bear’s diet, particularly in summer, vertebrate prey is less commonly taken. Black bears will scavenge carcasses of winter-killed deer or other hoofed animals in spring after den emergence. However, most living prey animals are too swift or elusive to be caught by black bears on a regular basis. An exception occurs during a brief period in spring when newborn moose, deer, or caribou young are vulnerable. Black bears were presumed to be the largest source of moose calf mortality when black bear numbers were 10 times greater than brown bears and when black bear densities were greater than 520 per 1000 mi². Predation nearly ceased by the time the calves are 2 months old. However, cow moose will aggressively defend their young against bear attack, and bears may be injured or killed when attempting to prey on moose calves.
