Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reminds residents to leave bear dens alone during winter

Feb 5, 2025 - 12:00

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Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reminds residents to leave bear dens alone during winter

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As temperatures have dropped and wintry weather was felt across many areas of Virginia in January, most bears have found a cozy den until warmer weather arrives. With this in mind, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is reminding residents to leave their dens alone.

According to the department, denning allows bears to conserve energy when food resources are limited.

"Movements and denning behavior vary greatly across regions of the state depending on weather and available foods," the department said.

Black bears in Virginia den in a variety of places, including brush piles, cavities within trees, rock outcroppings, debris piles, ground nests and sometimes under porches or crawl spaces. Not all black bears den for the full winter season.

Often, the department said black bears that enter a winter den are females who will birth their cubs in the den or females with yearlings. Male black bears may den, but generally do not stay there for the entire winter due to warm weather in parts of Virginia.

Whether you're enjoying a hike, cutting firewood, hunting or doing another outdoor activity, you may inadvertently stumble upon a black bear den.

Here are a few tips the department recommends taking to avoid disturbing a bear den:

Avoid hiking in dense brushy thickets or young cutover timber stands. If you must work in these areas, be mindful of brush piles, gullies with debris piles, or storm damage areas with thickets of limbs/root balls.
Always maintain your dog on a leash to avoid an encounter between a dog and a bear at a den site.
When burning a brush or debris pile on your property, look around the entire pile for signs of digging (fresh dirt, holes) or entry routes into the pile.
If you notice large, excavated holes or fresh trails into debris or brush piles listen closely for the sound of cubs from a distance of at least 30ft away. They often emit a high-pitched cry or “squall.”
To prevent a bear from denning under an occupied dwelling, ensure that crawl spaces, mobile home underpinnings, and porches are closed and secured prior to Dec. 1 each year.

If you find a bear den, the department recommends taking the following steps:

If you find a den on your property or while recreating, do not disturb it or approach the area. Leave the area, and if on public property, alert an employee of the location.
If you inadvertently cause a female bear to run from a den, do not approach the den. Take a GPS point of the location (or mark a nearby area with flagging) and leave the area immediately. If you have a dog with you, leash it and keep it maintained on a leash as you leave the area. Contact the Wildlife Helpline at 1-855-571-9003 to report the den location.
- Most often when left alone the female will return to the den, although they may not return until night. Do not go back to the den area as additional disturbance may cause the bear to leave again and not return.

The following are examples of den sites in Virginia: