Spring and Summer Food Habits of Black Bears in the Pelly River Valley, Yukon

Abstract

Food habits of black besrc (U.sus anericdnus) tron rhe Pelly River Valley, Yukon, were exanined ro dternine the seasonal inportance of yarious foods for bears inhabiting a northrn environment.Food habns llere derermined by analysis of59 scats and one stomach Herbaceous malerial and berries accounid for 95 percent of the scat volume during sp.ing and sunne.. Ho.stail (tqltseru m spp.), bearberry (Arctostaphylus uu urci), soapheftr gheperd.iaconadens;s), and graminoids were the nost important foods.Overwintered berries were ealen early in spring until hrbaceous vegeration becan ayailable.New br ries w.e important fron nid to late-sunnr.Insec!s, particularly ants, were frequent in 6cars fron May to August, bur vere only two p.cent of the total diet volume.Seasonal food habit informarion is imporrant because it reflects seasonal lrends in black bear habirat use.Food habit preferences of bea16 in northern environmenrs are generally sinilar to those in sourhern areas; however the restricted availability of differeni foods limits diversiry in northe.norrs.