How You Can Help Bears in November

It’s that time of year again when bears begin their hibernation for the upcoming winter months. But did you know that bears don’t hibernate because of the harsh weather? Instead, they hibernate because it’s too difficult to find enough food for survival during winter. Unfortunately, this means that some bears never actually enter hibernation because food sources – particularly food from human sources – are too abundant. That’s why keeping human food and other attractants away from bears at this time of year is crucial. Let’s take a closer look at how you can do your part to help bears this November.

Understand bear behavior this time of year

Typically, bears will begin to make or search out dens in November to begin their winter hibernation. Grizzly bears tend to excavate their dens on mountain slopes or hills, creating small chambers where they can slumber during the winter months. Black bears, on the other hand, use a variety of sites as their dens including hollow trees, highway culverts, and even basements. In fact, you may have a bear sleeping in your basement over the winter and not even know it! They’ll often retreat to their dens during a snowstorm. Once there, their heart rate drops to 10 beats per minute and their body temperature lowers several degrees. They generally don’t eat, drink, urinate or defecate while they are hibernating.

Some bears are not hibernating

Experts are worried because some bears are no longer hibernating. This is often because bears have easy access to garbage and human food. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change are also keeping some bears from hibernating. Bears that become habituated to human food can quickly become a nuisance, endangering the lives of both the bear and the humans they come in contact with.

Keep attractants away from bears

The easiest way you can keep bears safe this November is by removing attractants that can keep bears from entering hibernation. This includes:

• Not feeding birds or making bird food inaccessible to bears.
• Keeping garbage cans and recycle bins inside a garage or shed.
• Cleaning and storing grills away after use.
• Not leaving pet food out overnight.
• Not adding meat or sweets to your compost pile.
• Never intentionally feeding bears.

Use bear-resistant trash cans and recycle bins

Another way to help bears this November is to use bear-resistant trash cans and recycle bins from BearSaver. We’ve worked with bear experts and wildlife biologists for years to understand bear behavior and create bear-resistant products to help keep bears safe. We currently offer more than 75 different bear-proof trash cans, bear-proof dumpsters, and bear-proof food storage lockers to help remove attractants that often get our bear friends in trouble. We’re the largest bear-proof container supplier in the world and ship our products to every bear-habituated State and Province.

Contact BearSaver today

Would you like to learn more about how you can help bears in November by using BearSaver’s bear-proof line of products? Then contact us at 800-851-3887 or sales@bearsaver.com. We take our work seriously and look forward to helping you find just the right product to fit your needs. Contact us today!