Black Bears

At Philmont we love our bears! They are a natural part of our ecosystem. The only kinds of bears at Philmont are Black Bears. Just as humans vary in hair color, so can the black bear. Common colors are black, brown, and blonde. Male black bears can range from 150 to 300 pounds.

The Black Bears found at Philmont are scavengers. They can defend themselves, but they are looking to eat both plants and carrion (dead animals). Black bears spend 5 months of the year hibernating. When they are awake, they are always looking for food a good meal. They spend 7 months searching for enough nutrients to keep them fed and warm through the winter.

Black bears will eat anything that smells interesting, and is an easy meal. For this reason, we follow bear procedures to protect ourselves while we are sleeping. Bears have an extremely keen sense of smell. Their nose is 100 times more sensitive than a human nose and 7 times more powerful than a bloodhound’s nose. This means you will want to make sure you are always following your smellable procedures to minimize your attraction to bears.