On rare occasions, if forced to fight, it can and will kill. It is found in 24 mountain counties and 28 coastal counties of N.C. Original habitat in N.C. has been reduced from 48,880 sq. They prefer uninhabited woodland or swamp land with dense cover. In the mountains, this requirement is met with large tracts of mixed hardwoods with laurel and rhododendron thickets. Mating occurs in July and cubs are born in late Jan. or early Feb. Average 2.5 cubs - ranging from 1 to 5.
Cubs stay in den with mother for first winter.
After first year, cubs leave and mother may mate again. May use cavity in dead tree, hollow log on the ground, cavity formed by wind blown tree, natural rock outcropping, or a bed made in a thicket. Enter dens in mid-Dec. and emerge in late March or early April. Bears are not true hibernators - they enter state of dormancy in which they sleep and do not eat or excrete. They can be easily aroused.