All Bear Facts

Kodiak Bears

Kodiak bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) live on Kodiak Island or one of the nearby islands off the coast of southwestern Alaska. These bears can be nearly as large as polar…

Brown / Grizzly Bear Facts

Taxonomy: While there has been much confusion about the taxonomy of brown bears (Ursus arctos), taxonomists agree there are at least two subspecies in North America — the grizzly bear…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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. Black bear paw Bears have…

Bears as Imaginary Dragons

There may be something within us that wants to imagine dangerous animals to prove our courage against them. People used to imagine dragons. Today, outdoor writers, artists, and others profit…

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