waiting_for_a_gift

Saw this pair in Quetico (Ontario)last Aug. The sow looked to be only about 150 lbs. Is it normal for a sow that small to have a cub? How old would she be? I know the pic isn't very good for judging size, but any opinions welcome.

JNTURK

i can't say for bears outside of my state but yes i have seen many bears here that small (and some smaller) with cubs..probably one or two years old...saw a sow this year with cubs and the cubs almost looked as big as she was

timba

I would say she looks big enough for cubs,she'll probably put ona pile of weightbefore winter.

timba

waiting_for_a_gift

Followup questions: 1. Are cubs born in the den?
2. When does breeding happen?
3. What is the earliest age that a sow can be bred?

I'm assuming the answer to 1. is yes. I'm also assuming that the answer to 3. would be 1+ (after their first winter).

This would lead me to conclude that the sow in the pic is at least 2 years old, hard for me to understand her being that small. Comments?

JNTURK

1) not 100% of the time
2)spring
3)i am not 100% sure...i would guess that a sow born the year before (ie she would be almost one) could mate...but don't quote me on that one

MinnFinn

I can't say about more temperate climates like parts of CA. But in the upper Midwest like northern MN, yes, cubs are born in the den while the sow is hibernating and continue to feed off of mom and grow all the time she's hibernating.

Schultzy

1. Are cubs born in the den? In the Northern states yes or where its cold and they hibernate.
2. When does breeding happen? Breeding begins late spring.
3. What is the earliest age that a sow can be bred? Earliest they can reproduce is 2 years old. I'm guessing the average age is between 3 to 4 years old. Sows will breed every other year.
This would lead me to conclude that the sow in the pic is at least 2 years old, hard for me to understand her being that small. Comments? Sows for the most part don't get bigger every year like the boars all do. I've shot sows that were 12 to 17 years of age and weighed 120lbs. Not all sows are small though, i've seen sows that I know were 300lbs+. You can't judge a sow by how old she is by her weight, best way is to send a tooth in and go about it that way.

bcguideoutfitters

Hi Waiting for a gift, we are Bear Outfitters in BC Canada, so these answers apply to Canada.

Answers...These anquestion 1 Bears have their Cubs in the den.They start feeding while Moms asleep.
question 2 Bear rut takes place in the first week of June...delayed impregnation.

question 3 A sow will breed in her second year.They skip a year and will kick her cub out when it approches the second year so that she can breed again.

This is normal for a sow of this size to have a big cub. That cub will get kicked out.Bears will gain 100-150 lbs before fall. They burn almost all their fat in the den. They come out lean.In fact if they stay to long they can starve or winter kill.Grizzlies are out weeks ahead and will travel looking for denned Blacks. They will dig them up and eat them. Big Black Males will do the same....

Mark ....Bear Masters of BC ..www.bcguideoutfitters.com

bcguideoutfitters

I should have clarified that Island Bears have their own hibernation habits..I understand that some island Bears do not even go in...much like some of our Grizzlies.

waiting_for_a_gift

Thanks for the kind responses. I'm learning something here. Interesting that there isn't much of a size / age relationship with sows, and that they sometimes remain quite small in maturity.

One final question: Is it true that boars will instinctively kill cubs in order to induce heat in the females?