Skip to content

Bear hibernationNew Hampshire

When Do Bears Hibernate in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire bears are feeding hard before winter, and go into their dens between mid October and November.

Today, October 13

The bears

Fattening up

Bears start going into their dens in mid October.

Bird feeders

Keep feeders down until December 1

New Hampshire Fish and Game gives December 1 as the day feeders can go back up.

Where these dates come from

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

Dens and feeders in New Hampshire

By New Hampshire Fish and Game's den and wake months
Mid October to November
Into the den
per New Hampshire Fish and Game
Late March to early April
Out of the den
per New Hampshire Fish and Game
April 1
Feeders down
per New Hampshire Fish and Game
December 1
Feeders back up
per New Hampshire Fish and Game

Bears go into their dens over several weeks and come out over several more, so each is a span. Both feeder dates are New Hampshire Fish and Game's own, quoted below.

The sources

The dates, in the agencies’ own words

Into the den and out

Bears in New Hampshire go into their dens between mid October and November and come out between late March and early April.

In New Hampshire, bears typically enter dens between mid-October and late November and emerge from dens during late March or early April.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, read October 13, 2026

The bird feeder

Down by April 1, back up on December 1. Both dates are New Hampshire Fish and Game's.

Finish your bird feeding activities by April 1 each year.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, read October 13, 2026

Don't begin feeding the birds again prior to December 1 or the onset of prolonged winter weather (the birds will do just fine).

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, read October 13, 2026

Bears in New Hampshire

Population estimates range between 4,800 to 5,000 bears statewide.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, read October 13, 2026

Bears are not true hibernators, as they may be easily aroused from this state if disturbed.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, read October 13, 2026

Cubs are born in winter dens during January after a gestation period of about 8 months.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, 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
Advertisement
Month by month

The New Hampshire bear year

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

  1. January: In the den, feeders up
  2. February: In the den, feeders up
  3. March: In the den, feeders up
  4. April: Out and hungry, feeders down
  5. May: Out and hungry, feeders down
  6. June: Out and hungry, feeders down
  7. July: Out and hungry, feeders down
  8. August: Out and hungry, feeders down
  9. September: Fattening up, feeders down
  10. October: Denning now, feeders down, this month
  11. November: Denning now, feeders down
  12. December: In the den, feeders up

Up and Down mark where the feeder stands in the middle of each month. The bar for this month is outlined.

Sightings

When New Hampshire bears are seen

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

JFMAMJJASOND
987 research grade black bear reports from New Hampshire on iNaturalist, all years, by the month they were seen. Most come in May, fewest in February. 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

What New Hampshire Fish and Game says about bears out of the den in winter:

During periods of winter thaws, male bears may occasionally get up and move around until cold weather returns.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, Bears: Frequently Asked Questions, 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 New Hampshire: questions and answers

Advertisement
By state

Bear hibernation in the other 41 states

Other guides for New Hampshire

Bear Season in New HampshireFall activity and hunting dates by state.Hummingbird Migration in New HampshireWhen hummingbirds arrive and leave, and when to take feeders down.Winter Backyard Birds in New HampshireThe top feeder birds by state, December to February.Attic Wildlife in New HampshireWhen 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 New Hampshire Fish and Game, 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.