Species: American black bear (Ursus americanus)

What to look for

  1. Hind track. About 7 inches (18 cm) long in Maine's guidance and 8 inches (20 cm) in Missouri's, showing an extended footpad that resembles a human foot.
  2. Front track. About 4.5 inches (11 cm) in Maine's guidance and 3.75 inches (9.5 cm) long in Missouri's, with a small footpad and no long sole.
  3. Toes. Five on both feet, though the smallest inside toe often fails to register, which can make a track look four-toed.
  4. Claws. Marks fall about half an inch (1.3 cm) in front of the toe pads. They often do not show at all, and appear mainly in soft substrate.
  5. Stride. About a foot between prints at a walk and 3 feet at a run.
  6. Size of the animal. Washington's black bears weigh 100 to 300 pounds and stand roughly 2.5 to 3 feet at the shoulder on all fours, which is the weight pressing these prints into the ground.

Easily confused with

Human barefoot print. The bear's hind sole is a similar shape but carries five toe pads in a curve across the front, plus claw marks ahead of them in soft ground.

Raccoon tracks. Raccoons are also flat-footed and five-toed, but the hind track is only 3.75 to 4 inches long and the toes are long and finger-like.

Large dog tracks. Dogs register four toes, not five, and leave nothing resembling a long flat sole.

Where and when

Washington, Missouri and Maine all publish black bear track guidance, and Washington describes black bears as strongly associated with forest cover. Tracks turn up where soft ground holds detail, especially muddy trail edges, stream banks and wet sand. Those substrates show the five toe pads and the long hind sole best.

Keep your distance

A fresh track means a bear is using the trail, so make noise as you walk and keep dogs close. Your state wildlife agency or the park you are in publishes the local bear guidance, including food storage rules.

Related signs

  • Moose tracks: A moose track is the largest hoof print on the continent: two crescent-shaped halves running about 4.5 to 5.5 inches long, pointed toward the direction of travel, with two dewclaws that often register behind them in snow or mud.
  • Bear scat: Black bear scat is a large tubular deposit, usually left in a coil or in segments 2 to 3 inches long and 1.25 to 1.5 inches across.
  • Raccoon tracks: Raccoon tracks look like small hands.

Sources