The Elusiveness of the Canadian Black Bear

Canadian black bears aren’t magicians, yet find ways to elude hunters on many occasions. With their large size and black fur it is a mistake to think they are an easy mark. Naturally cautious, it takes great skill to reign in these masters of escape. Any error on the hunters part will send the bear running in the other direction, and any off smell will put the bear on high alert. Respecting their elusiveness will ensure that you’re on top of the game when it comes to hunting a black bear.

The black bear’s hearing is always going to be part of its main defense. As they get older, their abilities for stereoscopic hearing matures. The shape of their head and direction of their ears lead to hearing that is four times as sensitive as human’s. The Canadian black bear becomes a hard target at this point, as every movement mistake by the hunter becomes a caution for the bear. This is why the old and mature black bears are so sought after, as they have perfected this ability. A better challenge and a more fair fight all around, it leads to a greater hunting experience.

But the Canadian black bear also has a weakness that has turned out to be a strength, their sight. A regularly aged black bear has normal color sight that gets worse as they get older. As they mature they get near sighted, losing perception for long range. In order to make up for this vision loss, they become more sensitive to colors. The balancing act in a bears vision pays off, as even a camouflaged hunter can set off alarms if he chooses the wrong colors.

However, it is their sense of smell that really makes up the bulk of their elusiveness. The best way to measure a black bears sense of smell is to compare it to a blood hound. And even in that case it would take 5 blood hounds to match the receptors of 1 black bear. Black bears add to their impressive noses with the ability to taste the air. This part is especially important for the hunter, since separating natural smells from unnatural will be like child’s play for the bear. If you think that grabbing a quick smoke while waiting won’t alert the prey, then think again! Anything out of the ordinary will alert them, and then it’s back to tracking or resetting your position.