Out There: Stories from the Woods
Where are the Bears?
By Christopher Miller
Back in March we had a wonderful surprise as a yearling black bear ran through our yard in Woodward Township. It prompted us to be a little more watchful of our surroundings when outside while still enjoying nature to its fullest.
Then in July I received a text message of a photo taken from a trail camera a short distance up the road from our house. It was a mother bear with 3 of her cubs. Much to my dismay we have not seen the family.
But with bear season officially kicking off on October 16 and ending December 11 in some areas of the state, it begs me to ask the question: where are the bears?
Of course you could go to the bear check stations to look for bears that had been taken in the wild. Those who harvest a bear must have it checked by the Game Commission at certain locations statewide. But in nature out in the wild, where are the bears?
The Game Commission has live webcams “under the deck” as they call it. Here, a female black bear has found a space to live under a residential home, but they can also be found in a hollow tree, a bear-sized groundhog hole, rock crevice, cavity under large rocks, or in a nest beneath the roots of fallen trees.
What is interesting to note is that as far as research has shown, males and females den alone. Females will den with their cubs, but the males are on their own.
For those who thought that bears stay asleep during the long winter hibernation, you are slightly right and slightly wrong. Females will lay on their side to nurse their young while in the den, but will lapse into and out of a deep sleep while being dormant. In comparison, males will occasionally rouse and wander outside. Also what you might find interesting – bears do not expel bodily fluid while hibernating.
If you are out looking for bears, look no further than our neck of the woods. Traditionally, Clinton and Lycoming Counties have been near the top in bear harvests. Also take this into account: Clinton County is nearly 90% wooded and wild.
Bears can be found in the thickest cover that can be found like swamps and bogs, mountain laurel, north-facing slopes, timber-harvest areas, and remote sections of river bottoms. They can also be most active at dusk and dawn, usually around water.
Whether you are out on a mountain side, down in the thicket, or waiting by a water source to harvest a hungry or thirsty bear, keep your eyes open. I can still remember where I was sitting when I saw my first bear in the yard, and how excited I was to watch it run through my yard.
Be careful out there.
