Black bear prefer to live in dense cover, such as forests, cedar swamps, thickets, brush and clear cuts populated with saplings. Their choice of home range is determined by the types and availability of food. They roam throughout the summer in search of food sources. Females will travel roughly 10 square miles, and males may go up to 50 square miles from home. Several bears may share the same territory if there is enough food to go around, but the dominant male will defend his territory fiercely.
Black bears are excellent tree climbers, even as cubs, and use trees to escape danger.
Although much of the bear's historical habitat has now been populated by humans, this ingenious animal has managed not only to survive but to thrive. Black bears generally live about 10 years, though a few may survive twice that period. The most important known mortality factor for the black bear is vehicle kills. In New Jersey, black bear commonly live into their teens, which may be due to the abundance of food in this area. According to Patrick Carr, a Wildlife Biologist at the Division, black bears in New Jersey breed at roughly two to three years of age as compared to places such as Montana where the bears are five and six years before they breed.