Fun read. Interesting and a bit cheeky:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/animal_forecast/2013/02/do_bears_hibernate_polar_bear_black_bear_grizzly_bear_sex_and_torpor.html

[gawd, this antiquated system really, really sucks, and likes to show just how much sometimes....]

Edited by idester on 02/15/2013 15:01:52 MST.

Doug, Thanks. Yes, a good read. I learned a number of things including the definition of "baculum" a few of which I tossed away last May. I'm in the "you can't eat antlers" school of thought and I'd include penile bones in that as well, irregardless of how many Alaskans have oosiks hanging on their wall.

Up here, seismic and other field crews working anytime, including winter, have a staff member (with a 12-gauge loaded with rifled slugs) being "bear watch" at all times. Setting off dynamite can and has woken up ("unhibernated"?) bears and they can be kind of grumpy when woken.

Fun article with some interesting anecdotes.

For the record, the black bears in my neck of the woods do not hibernate. Plenty seem to be roaming around all year long. It's not uncommon even in January to come across fresh tracks and other "evidence" of their active presence on the trails.

We definitely see more activity, and often more actual sightings of bears, in the spring though.

Clickable Version

Edited by simplespirit on 02/15/2013 16:53:34 MST.

Around Tahoe bears snooze; they don't hibernate. They like to get up and go to the refrigerator for a snack. Your cabin is their refrigerator. Then when another storm comes in, they go back to sleep.