The black bear has become known to the public at large through the enormous popularity of the US National Parks. As they are protected within the boundaries of the parks, some bears have lost their fear of man and will even go so far as to beg for handouts at the roadside. Other bears congregate around rubbish dumps or campsites and seize available food. Scarcity or abundance of natural food has much to do with black bear behavior. Not only will a black bear eat almost anything, it will gorge itself until its stomach can hold no more, sleep it off, and start the process over again.
Black bears are solitary animals that wander all their lives in search of food.
The black bear's diet is similar to that of the brown bears, omnivores who will eat almost anything, but it is more markidly herbivorous. Appearing to wander aimlessly, black bears are always in search of a more plentyful sourse of food, or a mate during breeding season. In June they add insects, grubs and ants to their diet, and in the fall the main source of foods are berries, mushrooms and acorns with supplimental carion when available. Fall is a critical period as far as nutrition is concerned, in that sufficient reserves of fat must be built up for the winter. This is particullarly important for those females which are going to be suckling young during the winter retreat.