Bear Activity by Month:
A Complete Wildlife Calendar

January is a month of quiet, but important, drama in the bear world. Deep inside their dens, many sows (female bears) give birth to one to three cubs — tiny, blind, and weighing less than a pound. Mother bears will barely move except to nurse and groom her newborns.

Hibernation isn’t just about sleeping — it’s also a time for the bear’s body to repair injuries and heal from the prior year’s adventures. Those scars from a late-summer scrape with another bear? By spring, they’re often barely noticeable.

March is a restless month for bears with variety in behavior depending on location and what the fall foraging season was like. In warm regions or following a poor foraging season, bears may leave their dens for good. Others, living in colder climates who still have a nice layer of fat to burn, may just take short “stretch breaks” before returning to the den.

A bear emerging in March can be down 15–30% of its body weight, according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. Immediate calories are priority number one. Food conditioned bears are likely to make a beeline for memorable spots!

Cubs born this year are now 4–8 weeks old, eyes opening, exploring the den, and starting to nibble on mom’s fur in play. Yearlings (bears in their second year) are still shadowing their mothers, and all bears have fresh paw pads — winter naturally replaces the worn ones from last year’s adventures.

May is playtime for young cubs — with a side of survival training. They start climbing trees, practice balance and coordination, and start tasting plants, insects, and other foods while still nursing regularly.

Mother bears may leave their cubs alone while foraging, sometimes traveling up to two miles away. If you see cubs alone, resist the urge to intervene — “abandoned” cubs are almost always just waiting for mom to return.

This month also marks the start of shedding season, with some bears appearing to change color as they lose their dense winter coats. “Black” bears aren’t always black. They can be blond, cinnamon, or brown, too!

July brings a continuation of summer patterns. Young males in their third year are sexually mature and will start to mark trees and compete for mates. They’re not likely to be successful right away, since there’s usually an older, stronger male around. But they may get lucky in finding a mate when no one else is around. 

In hot, dry climates, food sources may dwindle, leading bears to roam farther. Their instincts help determine if a drought is local or widespread, saving them from pointless caloric expenditure.

Bears are surprisingly heat-sensitive, so midday hours are often spent resting in shade, lounging in bogs, or enjoying a mud wallow — a habit that keeps them cool and deters insects.

September signals the start of hyperphagia — an all-out eating spree where bears forage up to 20 hours a day. Freshly dropped nuts, the last of the year’s berries, salmon headed upstream, flying and burrowing insects — anything with calories is on the menu.

Pregnant females (still technically “almost pregnant”) scout for dens. Bears have been known to hole up under porches, in culverts, and other random places you wouldn’t expect. The “perfect” den will provide shelter from winter temperatures and precipitation. Little else matters.  

Mothers with cubs at their side may hold off a bit for denning. They’re still teaching their young how to forage while they fatten up for winter. Those growing cubs are wandering farther but still stay within mom’s call range.

By November, northern bears are settling into their winter dens. The urgency of hyperphagia has eased, and instead of frantic foraging, the focus turns toward comfort. 

Dens aren’t elaborate, but bears take care in preparing them. They’ll rake in dry leaves, grasses, and sometimes fur they’ve shed, creating a snug nest to help insulate against the cold. Pregnant females are especially invested, knowing they’ll soon be raising cubs in the pitch-dark safety of this temporary home. 

Once denned, a bear’s heart rate and metabolism drop significantly, conserving the energy they built up during fall’s feeding frenzy. But unlike ground squirrels or marmots, black bears don’t go into a true hibernation. They’re in a state of dormancy, capable of waking quickly if disturbed.