I Found a Bear Den Checking My Trail Cams: Winter in Northern BC
I nearly slipped into a black bear den checking trail cams on our property. Winter had finally shown up. After a stretch around minus 25, minus 5 felt nice, and there was about a foot and a half of snow.
The moose had been browsing heavily, there was rabbit sign everywhere and a couple of deer tracks, maybe a doe and fawn. I was following those tracks when I popped over a hill and almost stepped right into the hole. I was alone and unarmed, so I turned straight around. This time of year the bear should be drowsy, but there's no reason to mess with a den, especially if there could be new cubs in there. We've had what's probably the same black bear on camera back there plenty of times.
The first camera was half hidden behind snow-loaded branches sagging in front of the lens. It still caught a nice young bull moose and some deer.
The snow to the second camera was over my knees, with no bottom to it. That spot has been good for years: deer especially, moose passing through, more recently elk, and the usual black bears. The bears tore up the ground blind we had set there, so that needs repair.
The camera made the walk worth it. A bear on there from around November 27 is probably the same one that's in that den now. Better yet, it caught a black bear with cubs playing around. Black bears can act like teenagers. They play around, and that's where they get in trouble with people. In my opinion grizzlies are far more dangerous and unpredictable, but I still didn't want to go in that den.
Further along there were coyote tracks on a natural game trail right beside a trap I always set. Last time it caught a marten. This time it was a big, old-looking squirrel.
Back at the skinning shack I've got bait brewing. Before the bears went to sleep, they came and tried to get at it. If it had been out in the yard, it would have been gone. Now it's time to organize traps, lure, the truck and the sled for the next trip out. Whoever said trapping wasn't a lot of work is crazy.
Lessons from the cam check
Watch your footing near banks and hills. A den can be right under you, so slow down where the ground drops away.
Leave dens alone. Back off quietly, especially alone and without a firearm.
Check cams after big snows. Sagging branches can block the lens and kill your footage.
Lock up your bait. Bears will come for it right up until they den. A solid door saved mine.
Chapters
0:00 Bear den tease and winter arrives in BC
1:28 Patrolling the property and checking game cams
2:51 Finding a black bear den
3:04 Bear safety: why I backed off
4:52 Pulling the first trail cam: young bull moose and deer
6:16 Deep snow to the next cam
7:10 Bear-damaged ground blind
8:58 Trail cam: black bear with cubs
13:17 Coyote tracks, game trail and trap check
16:32 Skinning shack: bait and bears at the door
19:15 Final prep for the next trapping trip
Want the story from the trapline every week? The Trapline Report is one email a week from the bush this season.
Comments