American black bears are North America's most common bear species, yet they face welfare challenges from baiting hunts, human-wildlife conflict, and increasingly, habitat loss from development.
Black bear welfare in North America is shaped by the complex interaction between an adaptable, intelligent species and increasingly human-dominated landscapes. Baited hunting creates welfare concerns not just through the killing of targeted individuals but through the behavioral conditioning that draws bears into proximity with humans, creating conflict situations that end with lethal removal. Bears that have learned to associate humans with food — whether through intentional baiting or unsecured garbage — face a cascade of welfare harms: harassment, snaring, and eventually lethal management. The welfare-positive approach to coexistence prioritizes prevention: securing attractants (garbage, birdseed, fruit trees), using electrified bee hives and livestock enclosures, and educating communities about bear behavior reduces conflict before it reaches the lethal management stage.