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Bear hibernationVirginia

When Do Bears Hibernate in Virginia?

Virginia bears are going into their dens between October and January.

Today, October 13

The bears

Denning now

Most bears are in their dens by early February.

Bird feeders

Feeders stay down most of the year

Bears here den late and wake early: by Virginia Wildlife Resources' den and wake months, most are in their dens only from early February to mid March. So the window is short, about six weeks: up in early February, down again in mid March.

Where these dates come from

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

Dens and feeders in Virginia

By Virginia Wildlife Resources' den and wake months
October to January
Into the den
per Virginia Wildlife Resources
Mid March to early May
Out of the den
per Virginia Wildlife Resources
Early February
Feeders up
once the dens are full
Mid 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 six weeks a year.

The sources

The dates, in the agencies’ own words

Into the den

Bears in Virginia go into their dens between October and January.

Depending on weather and food conditions, black bears enter their winter dens between October and January.

Virginia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear, read October 13, 2026

Out of the den

They come out between mid March and early May.

They emerge from their dens from mid-March to early May.

Virginia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear, read October 13, 2026

The bird feeder

Up in early February, down again in mid March: about six weeks a year. Virginia 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 Virginia Wildlife Resources' den and wake months.

Remove the bird feeders.

Virginia Wildlife Resources, Living with Black Bears in Virginia, read October 13, 2026

Bears in Virginia

However, bears are found throughout most of the Commonwealth, and encounters between bears and people are increasing.

Virginia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear, 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 Virginia bear year

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

  1. January: Denning now, feeders down
  2. February: In the den, feeders up
  3. March: Waking up, feeders down
  4. April: Waking up, 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: Fattening up, feeders down
  9. September: Fattening up, feeders down
  10. October: Denning now, feeders down, this month
  11. November: Denning now, feeders down
  12. December: Denning now, feeders down

Up and Down mark where the feeder stands in the middle of each month. Feeders are up here only about six weeks a year, so most months read Down. The bar for this month is outlined.

Sightings

When Virginia bears are seen

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

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1,541 research grade black bear reports from Virginia on iNaturalist, all years, by the month they were seen. Most come in June, 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

What Virginia Wildlife Resources says about bears out of the den in winter:

Bears are easily aroused and may be active during warm winter days.

Virginia Wildlife Resources, Black Bear, 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 Virginia: questions and answers

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By state

Bear hibernation in the other 41 states

Other guides for Virginia

Bear Season in VirginiaFall activity and hunting dates by state.Hummingbird Migration in VirginiaWhen hummingbirds arrive and leave, and when to take feeders down.Winter Backyard Birds in VirginiaThe top feeder birds by state, December to February.Attic Wildlife in VirginiaWhen 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 Virginia 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.