Do Bears Live in the Same Den Year After Year?

Bears do not usually live in the same den year after year. So, does that mean if you know where a bear has spent the winter, you are unlikely to see a shaggy black boar or a brown sow and her cubs emerging from the same cozy hole in winters to come? Not necessarily.

Great Dens Are Repeat Retreats

Can you imagine a lair used for thousands of years by so many generations of bears that the walls have been worn smooth by their passage? Dens can be used again and again, but not necessarily by the same bear. Fish and Game bear researcher LaVern Beier “followed one bear for 13 years, and he only used the same den two times, and it wasn’t two years in a row.”

The North American Bear Center echos this sentiment: “the den that researchers found being used the most during four decades of study was used three times, each time by a different bear, and each time after an interval of six years.”

How Do Bears Choose A Den?

Since bears have home ranges anywhere from 50 square miles (for females) and 300 square miles (for males), they have a lot of territories to choose from. You’re more likely to see your favorite bruin sticking to spots close to where they sheltered the year before.

Most Bear Dens Have Three Things In Common

A North Facing Slope

Protection From The Weather

Well-Draining Soil

“If It Ain’t Broke…” – Ursids Everywhere

According to the National Forest Service, “Brown bears rely on past experience to choose den sites that maximize energy conservation.” In some environments, like the Arctic, it’s likely that last year’s hidey-hole has caved in by the time this year’s first cold snap hits. So, how far do these Kodiaks, Grizzlies, Cinnamons, or Kermodes actually travel from last winter’s digs?

Females (Sows): Less Than 2 Miles

Males (Boars): Less Than 4 Miles

The Ideal Winter Hideaway Starts In Summertime

Preparing for their long winter’s rest is no last-minute job, especially for pregnant females. Bears will spend warmer months searching out … Read the rest of the story.

from Nature Nibble https://ift.tt/xUDaJhG