After a long sleep, black bears head for these natural buffets Bears are creatures of habit, nearly always return to the same feeding ground Black bears emerge ravenous from their dens, so identifying where they feed is the first step in a successful spot-and-stalk hunt. Their preferred foods include emerging tree buds, grasses, sedges and forbs. Search along south-facing hillsides, roadsides, cutlines, clear-cuts, recent burns and natural forest openings.