Black Bear Country Ranging from Alaska to central Mexico, black bears are the most common and widely distributed of the bears in North America. In Washington, the best black bear habitat and highest densities of bears are on the peninsula, in the Cascade Mountains, in the Selkirk Mountains of northeastern Washington, and in the Blue Mountains of the southeast. The bears make their homes in forested foothills and mountains where food and heavy cover are plentiful. Black bears move in response to the seasonal availability of food. Males roam widely with no particular pattern, while females, often with cubs, will maintain a home range small enough to defend. As with so many other wildlife species in the Evergreen State, habitat loss through development and other land uses remains the biggest threat to black bear numbers.

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