BOZEMAN — Montana's unusually mild winter has prompted some bears to emerge from hibernation earlier than normal, according to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
In a typical year, male bears begin venturing out in March, with females and females with cubs following in April and as late as May. This year, bears have been spotted as early as February.
WATCH: Montana's mild winter is waking bears up earlier than usual
Morgan Jacobsen of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks said the mild conditions are driving the early activity.
"This year, on the other hand, we've seen bears even in February, and you know that's a little bit out of the norm for this part of the world," Jacobsen said.
For wildlife, finding food is essential, and winter typically makes that more difficult. A milder winter means more dining options are available — even for bears.
"Weather really plays to everything when it comes to wildlife. You know it boils down to water, boils down to food availability, and winter survival — all these things are really boiled down to the weather. When we have an atypical year, a winter like we've had, you know it's not a surprise that wildlife are adapting to deal with that change," Jacobsen said.
Not all of Montana's bears are out roaming, however. Higher elevations received significant snowfall this winter, and those areas remain home to many of the state's grizzly bears.
"There are still some collared grizzly bears that we know of at higher elevations that are still hibernating. We have had some significant snowfall at these higher elevations, so you know we'll continue to see bear activity or bears emerging from hibernation as the weeks go forward, so there are some bears that are active and some bears that are not," Jacobsen said.
Wildlife officials are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to go prepared. Anyone heading out to snowshoe, hike, or recreate west of Billings is in bear country.
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