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Sixty-six blood samples were collected from 44 livetrapped black bears (Ursus americanus) for 23 blood chemistry and hematology determinations. Statistical factorial experiments for analysis of variance revealed significant (P < 0.25) individual variability for 19 of 23 blood characteristics. Male bears had significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum calcium, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (MCHC) than females. Cholesterol and MCH increased significantly with age; total protein and globulin were both significantly higher in adults than in yearlings or cubs, and total bilirubin in cubs and yearlings was significantly higher than in adults. Predenning samples (1 July-31 December) had significantly higher glucose, packed cell volume (PCV), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) but lower MCHC than postdenning (1 January-30 June) samples. Leukocyte differentials were comparable to findings by others. Of 48 serum samples submitted for brucellosis and 1 suspicious and 1 positive reaction were observed for leptospirosis; a female cub had 50 percent or more cell agglutination at a 1:1,600 dilution for Leptospira pomona. Examination of approximately 250 blood smears resulted in no observations of blood parasites.