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Discover Nature: Black Bears Gorge to Prepare for Winter

Missouri Department of Conservation
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This week in Missouri’s woods, black bears begin to feed heavily in preparation for winter. ";

Discover Nature this week as the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) prepares for winter.

 

As the weather cools off and we head into autumn, black bears enter a phase called hyperphagia, in which they eat heavily, accumulating a layer of body fat that results in a 30-percent weight-gain. This layer of fat will provide nourishment and insulation during winter, when bears enter a deep sleep-like state called torpor, usually lasting until April.  

 

In preparation for this period of inactivity, bears eat a wide variety of food including grasses and forbs, berries, insects, fish, frogs, and carrion. Missouri’s fall acorn crop also provides an important food source. 

 

Bears can be attracted to human foods and may visit campsites, garbage disposal locations and bird feeders.  

 

As leaves begin to change and cooler temperatures return, Missouri’s woods can be a great place to discover nature, but remember to be bear aware

 

Learn more about how to stay safe in bear country at MissouriConservation.org, and learn more about black bears with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide.

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation. 

Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
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