Archives

June at a Glance: Yearlings leave mom and search for food, shelter and a place of their own. Adult males travel far and wide looking for mates. Nursing moms venture farther from home base [...]

May at a Glance: All bears visit all the places where they reliably found food last year. Cubs learn how to climb up (and down) trees and learn to “talk.” Cubs are still nursing, but start [...]

April at a Glance: Most bears leave their dens for good. Cubs get their first look at their new world. Mother bears continue to nurse and keep their den and cubs clean. Bears that found [...]

If the bears in your area aren’t up and about yet, they will be soon. Why wait until a bear is checking out your bird feeder, pet food or garbage? A few hours of prevention now can help keep [...]

March at a Glance: Some black bears leave their dens to walk around, stretch their legs and then go back to sleep. Other bears leave dens for good. Bears emerge skinny, groggy and thirsty and [...]

February at a Glance: Pregnant female black bears give birth. Cubs begin to grow. Bears snug in their dens live off fat reserves, recycle waste and by-products into useful amino acids and heal [...]

Some people believe that bears are not true hibernators. Squirrels, bats, rodents, marmots and other true hibernators enter a state close to suspended animation where body temperatures fall close [...]

What makes a good bear den? A bear den needs to big enough to curl up in and small enough to keep the bear warm and cozy through the winter. Bear dens are generally well-hidden; pregnant moms [...]

Rest and repair: January finds bears across much of North America tucked snugly into their dens, living off the fat reserves they worked so hard to accumulate while their bodies rest and repair [...]

When you think about a bear den, what comes to mind? A hollow tree? A cozy cave? How about a pile of abandoned tires? Or under your porch? Bears can den up in all those places and many more. [...]