Bears in Western Washington state.

[DirtPoor]

For the past 7 years that I have lived here, I have suspected that there was a bear that visited my berry patch every fall. Others would blame it on badgers or cougar (nah! felines don't eat berries). There was evidence that this critter would take grapes by the handful and other times pick individual clusters.

Any way, I finally found evidence (A really BIG pile of crap full of berry blackberry seeds) that it was a bear and another neighbor confirmed that he had seen a ~200 lb'er up his maple tree to reach the bird feeders.

No harm here. I'm willing to let sleeping bears lie. However, do bears in this mild climate actually hibinate? That is the question that has come up.

Any opinion or facts??

Steve

[egon]

Think we've got on of those too. Looks like he's set on buying the place cause he keeps leaving deposits as well as trimming the wild cherry trees.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Al_Wa]

<font color="blue"> do bears in this mild climate actually hibernate? </font color>
In regions where there is a consistent food supply and warmer weather throughout the winter (western Washington), black bears may not hibernate at all or do so for a very brief time. Pregnant females give birth and usually remain denned throughout the winter, but males and non-pregnant females may leave the dens from time to time.

Go to the Bear Festival in McCleary sometime, it's a Hoot.

[Rebailey]

Dirtpoor, get you a trail camera and you will get pictures of that bear. I use the cameras here in Mississippi and have pictures of deer, bobcats, coyotes, coons, turkeys and anything else that moves in the woods.