Bear hibernationGeorgia

When Do Bears Hibernate in Georgia?

Georgia bears are feeding hard before winter, and go into their dens between November and January.

Today, October 13

The bears

Fattening up

Bears start going into their dens in early November.

Bird feeders

Feeders stay down most of the year

Bears here den late and wake early: by NC Wildlife's den and wake months, February is the only month most are in their dens. So the window is short, about four weeks: up in early February, down again in early March. NC Wildlife says male bears in North Carolina's coastal plain may stay active all winter, so even then, put a feeder up only if no bears are around.

Where these dates come from

Photo: “Black bear on a snowy spring day”, Neal Herbert, National Park Service, Public domain

Dens and feeders in Georgia

By NC Wildlife's den and wake months

November to January

Into the den

per NC Wildlife

March to early April

Out of the den

per NC Wildlife

Early February

Feeders up

once the dens are full

Early March

Feeders down again

when the first bears wake

Bears go into their dens over several weeks and come out over several more, so each is a span. Feeders go up once the dens are full and come down again as the first bears wake. Bears here den late and wake early, so feeders are up only about four weeks a year. NC Wildlife says male bears in North Carolina's coastal plain may stay active all winter, so put one up only if no bears are around.

The sources

The dates, in the agencies’ own words

Into the den

Bears in Georgia go into their dens between November and January.

In North Carolina, den entry can occur as early as November or as late as January, though male bears in the coastal plain region may [be] active throughout winter.

NC Wildlife, Black Bear, read October 13, 2026. Its den months are used here for Georgia.

Out of the den

They come out between March and early April.

Most North Carolina bears emerge from their dens in March or early April, depending on the weather and mobility of their cubs.

NC Wildlife, Black Bear, read October 13, 2026. Its wake months are used here for Georgia.

The bird feeder

Up in early February, down again in early March: about four weeks a year. Georgia Wildlife Resources says to take feeders down while bears are active, in the words below. The dates are when dens are full and when bears start waking, by NC Wildlife's den and wake months.

NC Wildlife says male bears in North Carolina's coastal plain may stay active all winter, so even in those weeks, put a feeder up only if no bears are around.

Most nuisance issues can be resolved through simple actions, like removing bird feeders and outdoor pet food, or storing garbage in an area unavailable to bears, such as in a garage or enclosed building.

Georgia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear Fact Sheet, read October 13, 2026

Bears in Georgia

Thanks to sound wildlife management practices, bears have recovered to their present healthy population of about 5,100 statewide.

Georgia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear Fact Sheet, read October 13, 2026

The breeding season is in July and cubs are born in the den in late January or February.

Georgia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear Fact Sheet, read October 13, 2026

A dark opening dug into a hillside underneath a large grey fallen tree trunk, with green plants around it — A bear den under a fallen tree in Yellowstone, photographed in late May. Under fallen trees is one of the den sites BearWise names, along with hollow trees, dug out mounds and nests under briar patches. “Bear den underneath a fallen tree”, Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service, Public domain

Month by month

The Georgia bear year

Where the bears are in each month, from the den and wake months above, and where the feeder stands.

January: Denning now, feeders down
February: In the den, feeders up only if no bears are around
March: Waking up, feeders down
April: Out and hungry, feeders down
May: Out and hungry, feeders down
June: Out and hungry, feeders down
July: Out and hungry, feeders down
August: Out and hungry, feeders down
September: Fattening up, feeders down
October: Fattening up, feeders down, this month
November: Denning now, feeders down
December: Denning now, feeders down

Maybe and Down mark where the feeder stands in the middle of each month. Maybe means up only if no bears are around: NC Wildlife says male bears in North Carolina's coastal plain may stay active all winter. The window is about four weeks a year. The bar for this month is outlined.

Sightings

When Georgia bears are seen

The months people report black bears in Georgia on iNaturalist, from every year, and the reports from the last 30 days.

396 research grade black bear reports from Georgia on iNaturalist, all years, by the month they were seen. Most come in July, fewest in January. Counted September 19, 2026. The bars count sightings people logged, not bears.

Reading the last 30 days of bear reports from iNaturalist.

Bears out in winter

How easily a denned bear is roused, in the words of NJ Fish and Wildlife:

While in torpor black bears are capable of being easily awakened if disturbed and they may leave their dens on mild winter days in search of food.

NJ Fish and Wildlife, Black Bear Biology and Behavior, read October 13, 2026

A cinnamon brown black bear walking through low shrubs and dry grass — A black bear at Great Sand Dunes, photographed by the park in spring as bears were coming out of their dens, hungry. “Black Bear, Great Sand Dunes National Park”, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Public domain

Questions

Bears in Georgia: questions and answers

Do bears hibernate in Georgia?

When do bears go into their dens in Georgia?

When do bears come out of their dens in Georgia?

When should I take my bird feeder down in Georgia?

In early March, when the first bears wake. A feeder is up here for only about four weeks a year, from early February to early March, and down the rest of the year. NC Wildlife says male bears in North Carolina's coastal plain may stay active all winter, so even in those weeks, leave it down if bears are around. Georgia Wildlife Resources: “Most nuisance issues can be resolved through simple actions, like removing bird feeders and outdoor pet food, or storing garbage in an area unavailable to bears, such as in a garage or enclosed building.”

When can I put my bird feeder back up in Georgia?

Do bears come out in winter in Georgia?

When are bear cubs born in Georgia?

When are bears seen most in Georgia?

By state

Bear hibernation in the other 41 states

Other guides for Georgia

Bear Season in GeorgiaFall activity and hunting dates by state.Hummingbird Migration in GeorgiaWhen hummingbirds arrive and leave, and when to take feeders down.Winter Backyard Birds in GeorgiaThe top feeder birds by state, December to February.Attic Wildlife in GeorgiaWhen you may and may not evict animals from an attic.Bear Hibernation in every stateDen, wake and feeder dates for all 42 states, with the eight that have no dens.

Den, wake and feeder sentences are quoted from Georgia Wildlife Resources, nearby agencies where named and BearWise, read October 13, 2026. The phase and the feeder verdict are worked out from those months and today’s date. Bear reports are research grade iNaturalist observations of the American black bear, counted September 19, 2026.