In search of food, all three tear fallen trees apart for grubs and dig for roots. The diet isn't a fattening one, and by May the mother is lean and hungry. This is the time she might risk going after the farmer's sheep or hogs. With summer and a plentiful supply of berries and other fruits, bears seldom bother livestock. June is the mating season.
Bears gather at some rendezvous along their trails.
Here the males bluff and bully each other for their mates. Some rough struggles ensue, but size and ferocious appearance often settle the issue. Now, come autumn, bears concentrate on acorns. Before the blight wiped out the chestnut, black bears feasted royally on the king of nuts. He takes a rock in each paw and mashed the burs open and eats the nut.