Males are generally much larger than females. Males grow to about 60 to 70 inches tall and weigh 300 pounds on average. Some, however, can reach 600 pounds. Females range from 50 to 60 inches in height and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Bears tend to be secretive, nocturnal animals and have a limited range of habitat, making them difficult to spot in the wild.
Sightings usually occur around sites with people food, such as dumps and campgrounds.
An observant hiker can find signs of bear activity. Look for broken limbs on fruit trees, beehives or bee-inhabited trees that have been torn apart, dug up stumps and overturned rocks.