From the Facebook of: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 

Hungry for some bear knowledge?

Black bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet also changes with the seasons, so what they eat depends on the time of year.

In spring, bears mainly subsist on budding plants, grasses and any food opportunities left over from winter. As the weather warms and turns to summer, their diet shifts to foods like berries, fruits, ants and other insect colonies.

When fall arrives, bears up their daily intake and feast on abundant fruits and nuts like acorns and hazelnuts as well as most any other food they can find. The goal of this high caloric consumption is to gain enough weight to sustain the bear through the long winter without eating, a strategy known as hyperphagia.

The black bear’s diet does more than just provide them with winter sustenance. Its wide-ranging movements and varied food sources help disperse seeds throughout the landscape, supporting a diverse ecosystem.

Further, as they search for ants and other insects in fallen logs, their foraging helps break up the logs and aids in nutrient recycling.

Bears are more than just hungry; they also play a vital ecological role in our forests!