This study examined two different aspects of black bear (Ursus americanus) ecology in Utah. First, we determined the post-denning behaviors of female black bears in order to help management agencies protect bears from human disturbances as well as set spring hunts that minimize the taking of females with dependent young. We looked at the timing of den emergence (X = 25 March), the number of days at the den site post emergence (X = 11 days), and departure (X = 8 April) for female black bears in Utah from 2011—2013. We also analyzed the effects of cohort (lone female, female with cubs, and female with yearlings), region of Utah, year, elevation, and weather on emergence, departure, and total number of days at den. Lastly, we describe behaviors observed at the den site. We found that first emergence was significantly correlated with cohort and spring temperature. Departure date was significantly correlated with geographic region, spring temperature during emergence and departure, and temperature the spring and summer before denning. Total number of days at den was significantly correlated with cohort and last frost date from the year before. Bears spent little of the post-denning period outside of the dens (X = 9.8% of total observation time). When outside of dens, bears were often observed walking, lying down, sitting and standing. We also observed unique behaviors, including gathering nest materials, nursing, and ingesting. Dens were frequently visited by other wildlife as well. Second, we analyzed conflict between humans and black bears in Utah. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources initiated a black bear sightings and encounters database in 2003. We upgraded this database by gathering available records and organizing them into a new database for analysis using Microsoft Access®. From 2003—2013 there were 943 records, with 499 bear-human encounters, 33 incidents, 10 attacks, 208 property damages, 187 sightings, and 6 vehicle collisions. Utah county had the highest number of events (n = 115). The majority of events took place at campsites (n = 363). Summer was the most common season for events (n = 715). Time of day was frequently not reported, but when it was, most events occurred at night (n = 173). We found no significant increase in the number of events over the last ten years. We also found no significant relationship between the number of events per year and drought data. The highest number of events involved single bears (n = 843), and over half of events had food or garbage available for the bear (n = 475).

Human-bear (Ursus spp.) conflict (HBC) is an important issue facing wildlife managers across North America. It is essential that we understand the factors associated with HBCs in North America so that wildlife managers can make appropriate, science-based recommendations about how to avoid, and if necessary, survive such incidents. To that end, we present this comprehensive analysis of > 2,100 HBCs in the United States and Canada, ranging from 1880 to the present. This analysis includes the three native North American bear species: black bears (Ursus americanus), grizzly bears (U. arctos), and polar bears (U. maritimus) and assesses the role that twelve key variables played in human-bear conflict. We collected data from various sources, including newspapers, official government reports, and verified personal accounts. In the first chapter, we summarized data, looked for patterns and conducted statistical analysis (AIC weighted linear regression modeling and chi square analysis) to determine significance of variables in relation to human injury during HBC encounters. Our results found that human-bear conflict incidents in North America are rare but are increasing at a steady rate. HBCs involving grizzly bears were far more numerous and more likely to result in an injury, but black and polar bear HBCs were more likely to be fatal. Most incidents were classified as surprise encounters followed by bears being curious. The most common activity people were engaged in when an incident began was hiking or walking, followed by hunting and camping. Single bears were involved more than all other cohorts combined. There was a clear negative correlation between the use of a bear deterrent (firearms and/or bear spray) and the occurrence of human injury. Similarly, as group size increased, odds of human injury steeply decreased. In the second chapter, we present an analysis of human actions and associated bear reactions that occurred during each encounter. Each action-reaction pair was analyzed at four levels, increasing from the least detailed (e.g., "aggressive" or "defensive" actions) to the most detailed (e.g., person used a firearm, or person played dead). These summaries provide insights regarding the outcomes (i.e., how bears responded) of specific actions people have taken towards bears. For both black and grizzly bears, "aggressive" actions by humans resulted in the lowest rates of bear attack responses, while "neutral" human actions produced the highest attack rates. Third level analysis provided a more specific insight into these results, indicating that the success of "aggressive" actions is generally driven by the use of a deterrent, while the high attack rates of "neutral" actions are most often a result of people being taken by surprise with "no time to react".