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Bear hibernationTennessee

When Do Bears Hibernate in Tennessee?

Tennessee bears are feeding hard before winter, and go into their dens in early November.

Today, October 13

The bears

Fattening up

Bears start going into their dens in early November.

Bird feeders

Keep feeders down until early December

Feeders go back up once bears are in their dens, in early December.

Where these dates come from

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

Dens and feeders in Tennessee

By Tennessee Wildlife Resources' den months and NC Wildlife's wake months
Early November
Into the den
per Tennessee Wildlife Resources
March to early April
Out of the den
per NC Wildlife
Early March
Feeders down
when the first bears wake
Early December
Feeders back up
once the dens are full

Bears go into their dens over several weeks and come out over several more, so each is a span. Feeders come down as the first bears wake and go back up once the dens are full.

The sources

The dates, in the agencies’ own words

Into the den

Bears in Tennessee go into their dens in early November.

Denning starts as early as November and ends as late as May.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, read October 13, 2026

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 Tennessee.

On mothers with new cubs, Tennessee Wildlife Resources:

Bear cubs are born in the end of January/beginning of February and leave the den with their mother around April.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, read October 13, 2026

The bird feeder

Down in early March, back up in early December. Tennessee Wildlife Resources says to take feeders down while bears are active, in the words below. The dates are when bears start waking and when dens are full, by Tennessee Wildlife Resources' den months and NC Wildlife's wake months.

Remove all wildlife feeders and food piles when bears are active

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, read October 13, 2026

Bears in Tennessee

Tennessee has two main black bear populations: the Appalachian Population along the Tennessee-North Carolina border and the Cumberland Population in the northern part of the Cumberland Plateau along the Tennessee-Kentucky border.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, read October 13, 2026

The short answer is yes, black bears hibernate throughout North America (even in Florida).

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, read October 13, 2026

Because females hibernate earlier than males, this was accomplished simply by moving hunting season later in the year.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, 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
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Month by month

The Tennessee 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: Waking up, feeders down
  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: Fattening up, 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 Tennessee bears are seen

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

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3,763 research grade black bear reports from Tennessee 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 Tennessee Wildlife Resources says about bears out of the den in winter:

With the availability of human-provided foods in winter, there is less need for a black bear to hibernate for any length of time.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources, Black Bears in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee: questions and answers

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By state

Bear hibernation in the other 41 states

Other guides for Tennessee

Bear Season in TennesseeFall activity and hunting dates by state.Hummingbird Migration in TennesseeWhen hummingbirds arrive and leave, and when to take feeders down.Winter Backyard Birds in TennesseeThe top feeder birds by state, December to February.Attic Wildlife in TennesseeWhen 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 Tennessee 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.