Do you think the bears will come out early this year??

[hunter93]

hey was wondering what every ones opinions are if you think the bear will come out earlier this year due to lack of snow in the North West???

[Curly]

Don't they come out based on the amount of light during the day?  So, the weather wouldn't really affect the timing much? 

[notellumcreek]

I wouldn't start saying lack of snow yet... we have had almost 2 feet of snow in the last week and at least another another 2 feet expected through monday(crystal mountain). I would imagine if the weather is warmer earlier in the season, then yes, possibly. I also agree with curly that they are pretty set on using the lenght of daylight as a way of knowing when its time to come out.

[idaho guy]

one of my freinds takes in orphaned cubs in the fall for the Idaho fish & game and then they release them somewhere in the spring. I asked him about them waking up earlier with easy winter or early spring and he said they seem to start moving same basic time of year regardless. So I would agree has a lot more to do with amount of daylight than weather. But I think early spring and green grass coming up sooner might get them moving a little earlier but not alot.         

[Ripper]

With the snow fall we have gotten in the last few day's, I don't think they will be able to get out until June!

 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

According to Ralph Flowers, when you see chipmunks and squirrels, its time to go bear hunting !
Most of us will have to wait for August...
But as in all other phases of game movement, I think light triggers it (photo-period) but if March has a bunch of sunny days....

[jackelope]

No lack of snow in the mountains right now. They've been pounded up there recently.

[JLS]

one of my freinds takes in orphaned cubs in the fall for the Idaho fish & game and then they release them somewhere in the spring. I asked him about them waking up earlier with easy winter or early spring and he said they seem to start moving same basic time of year regardless. So I would agree has a lot more to do with amount of daylight than weather. But I think early spring and green grass coming up sooner might get them moving a little earlier but not alot.       

I've been told the same thing about photoperiod, with the caveat that if there is just snow and ice they'll likely go back to their den and sleep for a while longer.

I saw a bear out of its den in February once, doubt he stayed outside too long

[h20hunter]

I believe a few of our bear guys....Saylean or maybe Rick....one of the guys...has posted a few pics of fresh tracks in the snow. I've heard they don't truelly hibernate...like zonked out...in many areas on the state and may get up and go for a short walk every now and then.

[Ballance1]

Usually it has to do with Diurnal winds. When you get more (photo period) light in the day and the air heats up and cools off in a 24hr period this causes the winds to shift up and down a slope. daytime warming night time cooling.  When the temperature and consistency of these patterns increases the air flowing into a den causes the thermostat to trip and wake up the bears.  This is how they know to wake up when there is enough grass etc. to feed on and not starve to death.  Obviously there are variable's that can cause some to wake up with snow, etc. 

[idaho guy]

I have seen bear tracks in the snow quite a few times. I think they wake up around the same time of year but in the early spring with more grass coming up they move around a lot more and further from the den. So easy winter and early spring we see a lot more bears earlier cause they are moving around a lot more.

[kodiak 907]

It was so warm on Kodiak this year some of the bears didn't go to sleep at all.  They just hung out at the city dump like a bunch of guys around a camp fire. 

[headshot5]

According to the groundhog they are going to sleep in... 

[bearpaw]

For NE WA it all depends what the weather does in April. 

[Decker]

Before this dump of snow, NE snowpack was 101%.