Category Archives: Bear Sign
Bear Tracks and Trails
Bears walk on the soles of their soft feet, so they often do not leave distinct tracks unless they walk through soft mud or snow. Bears have 5 toes on…
Scat / Droppings
People are always surprised to find that black bear scats do not have an unpleasant smell if the bears ate only fruit, nuts, acorns, or vegetation. In those cases, the…
Marking Trees and Poles
Black bears of all ages and both sexes rub their scent on marking trees, including wooden sign posts and utility poles, but the majority of this marking is by mature…
Straddle Trees and Bushes
One way bears leave scent is by straddling saplings and bushes as they walk, urinating on the vegetation as it passes beneath them. This is done by bears of both…
Feeding Sign
Bear “nests” are clusters of broken branches from feeding and are not where bears rest. They are made when a bear sits in a crotch of the tree and pulls…
Summer Beds
Bears generally bed away from people and other bears. In cold weather, especially in spring when the ground is still frozen, they insulate themselves from the ground by raking up…
Winter Dens
Bears den in a variety of places. If you suspect something is a den, look for a bed of leaves, although not all bears make beds if they den after…
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