black bear hibernation times

[chrismcd]

hey all hoping someone can hit me with some bear knowledge today. since i got y first deer a few weeks ago ive been looking for a bear, until i get out deer hunting again. while i was out there before i couldnt getr away from fresh bear sign and the ocaisonal bear. but now i cant seem to locate either. have bears gone into hibernation already? do bears travel far to hibernate or do they stay relativley close to where they were in september.? should i keep trying or wait til spring? ive heard calling is a good way in fall but ive had no sucess. probably because i havnt seen any fresh bear sign either - _ - ive been reading alot of diferent reports from all around the continent and cant figure out when hibernation sets in in southern bc

[Pioneerman]

I have seen bears right up until late Dec, I would not worry about reports from around the CONTINENT cause what happens in Florida does not pertain to Alaska. Really depends on where you live, but in general they hang around until food souces are gone or snow is too deep . They do not migrate to sleep. I have seen many dens right on the sides of logging roads, and not far from towns

[chrismcd]

Yeah i figures some bears wouldnt even hibernate , in places that dont get gold. I just cantik seen to find bc specific answers. Any good books out there you know about for bc blackbear

[Drache]

I went from seeing 8 bears a day in my hunting area down to 1 in the past 3 weeks. The berries they were eating are done with, they have moved on for other food sources. Spotted my last one feasting on a rotting gut pile from a deer someone had got a couple weeks before.

[TyTy]

i was eating ripe blue berries, at 1500m elev. in region 2 on Oct. 19'th. fresh bear shit showed grass as primary deit, which makes me think food source is switching at the end of Oct. i would imagine most bears will be traveling to denning areas come Nov. some keep wandering right into Dec. i read somewhere once that when a bear finds its den, it will hang around in close proximity for a few weeks until food and temp tell it its hibernation time. So my guestimation says most bears are dened about the first week of Dec, in SW BC.


a biologist told me once that grizzlies go up highbto dens, "up in the rocks, with the goats". that cold will kick them into hibernation mode. no first hand experience, but interesting to ponder

[brian]

A couple years back I saw fresh bear sign on the season closer in Squamish. I was surprised as hell to see it as I assumed they would be hibernating by then.

[tigrr]

Going out for bear today. They have switched to eating rose hips and grass here. Fawn in distress call. Be ready for anything. Plan escape route!!

[Drache]

Fawn in distress call. Be ready for anything. Plan escape route!!

I used a wounded rabbit call on the last black bear I seen. The bear knew I was there, didn't care a bit. As soon as I used the call though the thing ran away like I had shot it in the ass or something it was so scared lol.

[MRP]

It's all a bought food. If there's still enough food they'll out a long time. No food and it gets cold it's off to bed.

Sounds a lot like me?

[HeadingOutside]

No food and it gets cold it's off to bed.

Sounds a lot like me?

Amen to that.