Seasonal movements and home range utilization patterns of the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, in western Manitoba

Abstract

Seasonal movements and home range characteristics of Black Bears (Ursus americanus) were studied in an agriculture-forest ecotone in western Manitoba from May 1979 to November 1980 using radio telemetry. Subadult males utilized a significantly larger home range (506.4 km2) than subadult (35.2 km2) than subadult (35.2 km2) or adult females (29.1 km2). Similarly, males used larger seasonal ranges than females and showed much greater variability in utilization patterns. Adult and subadult females showed up to 100 percent overlap of their home range. The extensive overlap of seasonal ranges indicated overlap was both spatial and temporal. Subadult males traveled farther between locations than subadult or adult females during all seasons. Animals moved freely between forested areas and the agricultural lands, but while in the agricultural zone, restricted their movements primarily to wooded areas, ravines and shelter belts. Females did not undertake extensive movements away from their summer activity centers whereas subadult male activity was characterized by irregular and wide ranging movements, often into the adjacent provincial forest. The observed home range utilization and movement patterns differ from some studies conducted in forested areas and may be related to the high mortality and population turnover rate of bears in the current study.