Bears use trails just as people do. Look for tracks in soft earth or around mud puddles. Watch for claw marks on smooth-barked trees or rotten logs that have been ripped apart for insects. It's also easy to recognize a black bear's sizable droppings of partly-digested berries, corn or animal hair. Adult black bears make a variety of sounds that include woofing, growls and jaw-popping.
Sows communicate with their cubs by using low grunts or huffs.
Cubs whimper, chuckle and bawl. Feeding Habits Bears may be on the move at anytime, but they're usually most active at night or during early morning. Bears are omnivorous, eating almost anything from berries, corn, acorns, beechnuts, or even grass to table scraps, carrion, honey and insects. During late summer and fall, black bears fatten up for winter hibernation. At this time, they may actively feed for up to 20 hours a day, ingesting up to 20,000 calories.