Backcountry Camping . Bear Encounters . For Hunters . Wildlife Stewardship General Characteristics of Bears Bears are intelligent , curious, and have excellent memories, especially about food sources. Bears use their acute sense of smell for information about the world around them.
Bears see in color and have good eyesight , similar to humans'.
Like dogs, bears hear high pitches. Their hearing is excellent , though less relied upon than their sense of smell. Standing up on its hind legs allows a bear to get more information from its senses of smell, sight, and hearing. It is a sign of curiosity, not aggression. Size, body weight and color vary from habitat to habitat.