Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Posts: 6113

Does anyone know if sow bear typically use the same den or same general area to have their cubs each year? I always assumed they did but yesterday someone told me they den totally random. Thought some of you might know.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 4312

they have pretty much the same home area year after year,but I also believe "dens" are random.

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Registered: Jul 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 261

Todd,

Had an opportunity to spend the day @ work with my son. He works for MassWildlife. The days activities were all about bears.
The sow will den randomly. The sow we worked with this day has denned in a 15 - 20 mile radius over the last 4 years.
Hopefully you have micrsoft office on your computer. I put together a short clip on the days activity

Enjoy

Jim

Last edited by Jim Morelly on 03-13-2010 at 02:53 PM

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location:
Posts: 293

Hey Jim, was that bear denned on a field edge? just wondering what the den was like? Also out of curiosity..how close was it from a road or a house? I've often wondering if bears dont mind living near by and we just dont happen to see them. I'm betting people would be surprised at what might be quietly living under a brush pile, or under an old shed or something out back behind their home.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 4312

Mike, a few years back there was one near here denned in a brush pile in the back yard or a house.Big brush pile,but not 60-70 yards from the house.

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Registered: Jul 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 261

Mike,

As Sam said, with the bear in a brush pile. This sow was 100 yds behind a house. Her den was nothing more than a scrathed our area under some multiflora. My guess is she was on the move late in the season when " SURPRISE". cubs on the way. The Fish& Wildlife Team made her an nice inclosure before putting her back.
Mike , I sent you a slide show of the day. What I try to do when my son lets me tag along , is put together a presentation so the state can share it with folks.

Sam if your interested let me know and I will send it along.


Jim

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location:
Posts: 293

Hey Jim,

Great photos. Thanks for sending. Really interesting experience there...funny how that sow didn't have a better prepared den site as you'd think she would. Sounds like she's made it through a couple winters anyway so she knows wht she'd doing. Amazing how they survive a winter laying under some brush.

I've seen a few bears here around the house..not denning, just walking around beig bears. I had a good size one under my deck one night eating bird seed, dogs were going crazy winding him but he didn't mind. Other times they were crossing the driveway early in the am. I'm sure there's a den somewhere close by...they sure are great at hiding from us huh?

very cool critters.

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Registered: Oct 2009
Location:
Posts: 139

It sure is amazing what a bear will use for a den and even give birth in a makeshift shelter. We were logging an area years ago and a bear moved in and made a den up under two tree tops. Another time a farmer left a hay wagon in the field and the wind from the north west direction drifted over the wagon and the bear dug into the drift up tight to the wagon and stayed a couple of months.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: Newport TN
Posts: 131

We have several bears around the house. Its nothing to look out the window and see a bear or a sow and cubs or somehing

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: southwest,virginia
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do you have any more pics of that lil guy

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: "The Mountain State" Where it's uphill both ways!
Posts: 3127

I've done the same type of thing here, a bear den study, with the DNR. Man what a good time, we "darted" a sow and 3 cubs, weighed them, took tons of measurements, replaced her collar, and tatooed the cubs lip to match mom's. She too was denned in just a pile of tops left behind from a timber cut, she had a few inches of snow laying on her, we crawled in the den along side her to dart her, was hard to see until she moved and the snow broke loose to expose her hair.

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Last edited by wvhounds on 03-14-2010 at 04:52 AM

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Registered: Dec 2006
Location: Sandy Hook, KY
Posts: 1009

i bear hunted at in nc.this year the bear there onley hibernate about 30 days out of the year and just dig a hole like a ground hog but in a different spot every year to have there cubs but they onley bread every 2 years unless they loose there cubs so thats wat the hunters that took us told us there.i know the bigest bear in the us is there becauls they have a great food source and not much cold weather.david

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Last edited by David Boggs on 03-14-2010 at 11:20 AM

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: maine
Posts: 6

a couple winters ago i worked cleaning up tornado blow down sections on NH state land.we jumped several bears in the blowdowns.they were denned under just a pine or spruce top.every one i saw was next to a small brook or water trickle.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: Newport TN
Posts: 131

when bears den up they about always den where there is water. They can go months without food and will come out of the den to drink water and go straight back to the den. They will den close to water so it doesn't take much energy to get a drink and move back to their bed

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Handler of 2009 AKC World Champion Redbone "Light'in"
Hard Stroakin Kennels & Pure Rage Big Game Hounds
Justin Jackson
"THIS AINT NO BEAUTY CONTEST"
coon and bear dogs of the FINEST kind
Home Of:
BH MTN Nitetime Rascle (Qualified for AKC World Hunt & PKC Super Stakes)
BH MTN Lee's Image (Lee) ----(UKC 2nd & 3rd place & Qualified for the AKC World Hunt)
Hrd Strkn Pure Rage Hammer
Lee's Hard Stroakin Meg
Hard Stroakin Bonnie (A.K.A SPEEDY)
Gone But Never Forgotten:
GRNITECH Owenby's Rebel Sue
NITECH Hanks Wild Meg
PR Hard Stroakin Jake (A Squirrel Treeing Machine)
GRCH Spring Hill Blue Spice
GRNITECH Heartbreak Holly

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Posts: 6113

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If we're not suppose to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat?

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: maine
Posts: 6

todd i believe sometimes they will tolerate quite a bit.a few winters ago a friend and i went to rabbit hunt a small swamp we had found.we dumped out the dog box and began walking up the edges of the swamp when the dogs blew up. and we immediately realized the bark was diff.they had something cornered.we assumed it was a porcupine or something.we ran like hell towards the thicket of water bushes and found two beagles baying a bear.one of dogs was 2ft face barking the bear.we thought great,we have to grab the dogs.so both kept our shotguns pointed at the sow and crept in to grab the dogs.she let us get them.she then ran right by us and stopped 25ft or so looked at us and ran off.we immediately returned to the truck and loaded the dogs up.we then heard two loud crying sounds.she had cubs but we didnt see them.after calming uor nerves we realized a looger had moved in next to the swamp and probably ran over her den not knwoing it was around.we did what we thought was right and called game wardens.they said leave them alone till dark,the sow will return to get them.a couple hours later the warden called back and said show them to me ,the conservation officer wanted to see them.so we did.it was to late they both froze to death.i guessed them at 1-2 days old not any bigger than hound puppy.it was unfortunate .she made a small bed on the ice with some sticks and snow and gave birth out on the ice.

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