It’s definitely getting close to wintertime now. The first few snowfalls of the season have come and gone and it is getting dark by 5pm. We have taken down the majority of the bear’s summertime fencing and they are now living in their smaller hibernation habitat next to the bear den.
Every day we throw in a few Silver-Fir branches for the boys to use as bedding. Coola dutifully comes over, inspects the branches, gathers them up and drags them into the den for later arranging. Grinder sits and watches, assuming a supervisory role. At last check, their bed was approaching 40-50 branches and a depth of one foot. These branches will not only serve as a comfy mattress, but will also help insulate the den and keep it much warmer than the surrounding area.
The bears appetites have begun to wane. They have gone from around 40 pounds of food each day to 10 pounds or less. They are now more interested in denning and sleeping than eating and playing!
As the snow begins to accumulate, the bears will spend increasing amounts of time inside their den. Once they are sleeping for the majority of the day we will close the door to their den and they will officially be in ‘hibernation’. Bears, however, are not true hibernators as they get up and move around fairly often. This movement keeps their muscles and bones active so that no grizzly physio-therapy is needed come springtime! Our extra large bear den has plenty of room should Grinder and Coola wish to go for a winter-time walk or stretch. We also have infrared cameras monitoring their movements. These cameras let us know the bears are doing well during the winter months.
The fresh snowfall allows one to observe a great many wildlife tracks around the mountaintop. In the last few days I have observed the tracks of Lynx, Coyotes, Snowshoe Hares, Douglas Squirrels, Common Ravens and of course our local Black-tailed Deer. There have also been a few other tracks that were harder to recognize.
The amount of wildlife activity on the mountain has definitely decreased now that the snow is here and will only continue to do so into the depths of winter. That being said, however, it is still a magical experience to feel the crisp winter air on a sunny morning while studying the tracks of the wildlife that is still all around you. I encourage you to come and visit!
