Of course a tree containing honey is always a treat. Bears drink frequently and are usually found in the vicinity of water. Although some black bears may live for 20-25 years, few bears in the wild become that old. In areas where bears are hunted, legal hunting is one of the major mortality factors, especially for bears two years of age and older. Males are usually shot before females because they are less cautious and travel more widely.
Females become more vulnerable with increased hunting pressure.
Young bears in both hunted and unhunted populations die from starvation, accidents, and predation. Predators include older bears and occasionally wolves and lynx. Recently, the increasing demand for bear gall bladders, bear paws, and other parts that are believed to have medicinal and aphrodisiacal value has caused concern about increased illegal killing of bears. Some black bears harbour parasites such as tapeworms and roundworms, but these seem to have little effect on the bear's health. In general, wild black bears have remarkably few internal or external parasites.