09/07/2025
WHAT ARE BEARS UP TO IN JULY?
* Cubs born this year have grown to the size of a raccoon or a small dog with big ears.
* Yearling bears now on their own can be the size of medium dogs.
* Bears of both sexes mark trees and adult bears mate.
* Cubs smell their mother’s breath to learn what’s good to eat.
* Bears’ great memories help them return to proven food sources.
HOW BEARS FIND FOOD:
Bears have more than a hundred times as many smell receptors as people do and can follow scent trails a mile or more back to the source. Their built-in GPS guides them back year after year to wherever they found food, whether it’s the berry patch that ripens in July or the trash that goes out every Thursday night.
FOLLOWING IN MOM'S FOOTSTEPS:
Cubs are big enough now to follow mom as she forages for food. If mom is a wild bear, she teaches them how to eat berries, catch fish and dig for insects.
NOT ALL LESSONS ARE GOOD:
If mom has learned to rely on human food sources, she teaches the cubs how to raid garbage cans, knock down bird feeders, empty pet food bowls and prowl campgrounds.
SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE IS SIGNS:
Bears often mark trees, especially in the summer mating season. Bears stand on their hind legs and scratch the trees with their claws and sometimes teeth. Both males and females mark trees. Many researchers believe bears create marker trees to announce they are in the area and let other bears know how big they are.
MAKE IT A BEARWISE SUMMER:
Explore our online resources so you can avoid attracting bears and stay safe at home and outdoors. Thanks for doing your part to keep bears wild!
https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-july/
