I've had some close encounters with black bears, seen some brown bears, never a grizzly bear. I'm fine with that. I'm sure they are majestic creatures but if I see one I'd prefer it be at a distance.
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Wyoming Grizzlies Could Start Waking Up Any Day, Will Grizzly 399’s Cub Show?
Wyoming’s grizzlies should start emerging from hibernation any time now, but nobody’s sure if Grizzly 399’s cub, Spirit, will be among them.
cowboystatedaily.com
Wyoming Grizzlies Could Start Waking Up Any Day, Will Grizzly 399’s Cub Show?
Wyoming’s grizzlies should start emerging from hibernation any time now, but nobody’s sure if Grizzly 399’s cub, Spirit, will be among them.
February 26, 20254 min read
Spirit was the last cub of Wyoming's most famous bear, Grizzly 399, and was born in 2023. Spirit hasn't been seen since 399 was struck and killed by a car in October 2024, but many people think the cub might have survived the winter and will reappear soon. (Courtesy Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven)
Wyoming could be only days away from the first sighting of a grizzly to emerge from hibernation this year – but nobody knows when, or even if Grizzly 399’s cub will show.
Renowned grizzly photographer Tom Mangelsen gave the prediction that March 8 will be the day when the first grizzly is spotted.
Wildlife photographer Debbie Dixon of Gardiner, Montana, gave a slightly later predicted date.
“If this thaw continues, it might be earlier than you think. I’m predicting March 15,” she said.
One bear many wildlife watchers will be looking for is Spirit, the last cub of Wyoming’s beloved Grizzly 399.
March Grizzly Madness
Other wildlife photographers and a biologist didn’t give exact dates but agreed that grizzly season will probably start in early March.
“I’d guess the first boars (male bears) will show up in early March in Yellowstone’s northern range. Maybe at the ponds where bison fall through the ice,” said Wyoming wildlife photographer Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven.
Last year, the first official grizzly sighting was on March 13 in Yellowstone National Park. The first grizzly of the season in the Teton area was seen and photographed on March 23, 2024.
A lone grizzly was spotted roughly two weeks ago by Wyoming Game and Fish personnel observing elk herds from an aircraft, Dan Thompson, Game and Fish large carnivore specialist, told Cowboy State Daily.
However, that was probably a “unique occurrence,” not an indication of grizzlies coming out of hibernation, he added.
As Thompson and other bear biologists previously told Cowboy State Daily, it’s possible for grizzlies to venture out of their dens for short periods at any time during the winter.
March is the month for grizzlies to start emerging from . . .