Red List status: Least Concern –– This species occupies a large portion of its historical range (65–75%), and populations are generally increasing or stable, because human-caused mortality is less than the reproductive rate. They have been listed as Least Concern since 1996. Since 1992 they have been listed in Appendix II of CITES, under the similarity of appearance provision. Documentation of legal harvest is necessary for the import and export of body parts in order to prevent parts from illegally obtained bears, particularly the Asiatic black bear, being traded under the guise of being from an American black bear.
Click here to see IUCN Red List account of this species
Least Concern
Threats: American black bears are not threatened. They are harvested as a game species in all 12 Canadian provinces and territories where they exist and in 32 U.S. states, including 6 states where hunting was previously closed or not allowed. The sport hunting of this species is not a threat, but rather an indication of populations sufficiently robust to support an annual offtake. It is controlled by state and provincial agencies to fit management objectives. In some cases, the biggest concern is increasing conflicts with people, and jurisdictions have used harvest as a means of stabilizing populations to reduce further expansion, or even reducing population numbers in some areas. A total of 40,000–50,000 bears are hunted annually in Canada and the U.S.. They are not legally hunted in México, but some conditional permits are allowed for depredation cases. Bears may be killed to protect property, crops, or when considered a danger to people, but the specifics on what is allowed differ by individual jurisdictions.
American black bear_U americanus_Minnesota_wandering in front of police station_submitted by public to MNDNR
American black Bear_U americanus_Iowa_bear in cornfield_Iowa DNR
American black bear_U americanus_Minnesota_damage to cornfield_Minnesota DNR drone photo
