There are roughly 1 per year in North America, and most of those in Canada and Alaska. Range and Habitat. I didn’t sleep well that night, but since that night I’ve never been too bothered by bears. Black bears are extremely agile, running at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. At this point they want to be fed and they may also want to play. A typical whitetail deer sleep cycle includes a cyclical routine of dozing, then snapping to attention. They become fat with the approach of cold weather and sleep for about 125 days, beginning as early as October … It is the largest meat-eating mammal in New England, occasionally reaching weights of 500 pounds. Male black bears range over much larger areas and home ranges are 10 to 59 square miles (26-152 square kilometers). 2. One of the dangers of hunting at night is identifying the target properly. Black bears can live to between 20 and 30 years of age. But grizzly bears' body clocks are set in sync with the seasons. Some sleep for the entire winter, while others just hibernate during the worst of the winter weather. Researchers United Nations agency ascertained sleeping polar bears within the wild found that the bears would sleep for seven to eight hours in one go. Black bears are active during the dawn, dusk and night hours. Some bears are active mainly at night to avoid people or other bears. In the last 6 years I’ve seen between 17 and 20 bears, almost all while backpacking solo. But before you give your blessing to this seemingly innocent habit, consider the following: Cats rarely sleep through the night and they often wake up too, too early for most people, usually 4 or 5 am. The length and depth of hibernation is genetically programmed to match the regional norms of food availability. They have blocky bodies and patches of yellowish-white fur on their chests, but otherwise resemble American black bears in body shape, behavior, and diet. Black bears are considered highly efficient hibernators. Black bears do not usually urinate or defecate while in dormancy. So it seems bears not only don't eat as much at night, but they sleep late. During deep, winter sleep, their heart rate and breathing drops 50-60 percent, body temperature drops by 7-8 degrees, and they lose a quarter of their weight. While black bears are incredibly entertaining to watch and negative encounters are extremely rare, we must do our part in keeping ourselves and the bears safe. As a result, bears and people are coming into contact more than ever. Although there is a drop in body temperature, metabolic rate, and heart rate, they can awaken from their sleep to defend their cubs or ward off attacks if necessary. Bears may help send humans to Mars. bears don't have a set time to go to bed... they usually settle down around dark but if they smell food or have some interest in your site they might come. People getting killed by black bears is exceedingly rare. If you see a black bear in your yard, enjoy the sighting, but be sure that you are not doing anything to attract the bear to your yard. With all that time spent sleeping, you'd think that a grizzly wouldn't need to take a break at all during the rest of the year. 5. Black bears do not truly hibernate but enter a state of lethargic sleep. According to the Quality Deer Management Association ( QDMA ), because of their fears of danger deer’s version of sleep is more like dozing, where the deer will typically sleep from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. These bears usually avoid humans and will only attack if they are wounded or are protecting their young. Black bears are not true hibernators as they can be roused from their winter sleep. To get some sleep at night make your camping site as bear proof as possible. The only bear species that makes its home in Massachusetts is the black bear (Ursus americanus). There, they create a bedroom oasis of sorts—a den, in tiger lingo (sometimes more than one)—to sleep in and raise their young. During the summer, polar bears can pay up to a 3rd of their time sleeping. In New York State, black bears (Ursus americanus) are the second largest mammal (the moose is the largest).A little over half of the state's black bear population is located right in the Adirondack Park. BTW Torpor is a lighter sleep than true hibernation. Waste products are produced, however, instead of disposing of their metabolic waste, bears recycle it. Pennsylvania's bear population has been increasing for decades, and at the same time, many people have moved into the areas where bears reside. Hope this helps. The more they hit at night the more comfortable they will be sticking to the late night feedings. Black bears in the Smokies are black in color, but in other parts of the country they may be brown or cinnamon. 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