Bears as Predators ~

[brotherbear]

Yellowstone Bears in the Wild by James C. Halfpenny.


Grizzlies also prey on moose and bison. When Dave Mattson compared prey selection, grizzlies appeared to favor moose over other ungulates while bison and deer were least favored. Bears obtained almost half of their moose meat by predation; on average a bear killed one moose every other year. Nonetheless, the amount of moose meat consumed by grizzlies was 20 times greater than would be expected by the population density of moose.
Moose are larger than elk and usually provide more meat, but moose behavior may be the critical key to bear predation. Moose are solitary creatures that inhabit forests much of the time. Grizzlies may be better able to use forest cover to stalk and ambush moose. Conversely, elk and bison exist in herds in open areas, two factors that work against successful bear attacks.
Few deer are taken, possibly because deer are fast and in general inhabit lower elevations than grizzlies. Reply