Stay away from bear dens, watch out for male bears, Virginia wildlife officials warn

Virginia wildlife officials are warning people to avoid bear dens and to watch out for males who may not be hibernating.

Black bear mothers with new cubs or yearling cubs are the most likely to use dens, Department of Wildlife Resources officials said.

Bears have been known to make dens in hollow trees, thickets, piles of wood debris and under the porches and crawl spaces of house. Officials in a statement urged anyone who thinks they found a den to “please leave it alone” in all caps.

To help avoid dens and the bears that may be inside them, officials said people should secure porches and crawl spaces, keep their dogs on a leash to prevent bear-dog encounters, look around debris piles for signs of fresh digging or entry and to avoid hiking in dense thickets or “young cutover timber stands.”

Some black bears, which can be found in both Virginia and Maryland, are not going to stay in a den for the entire winter.

Males may use dens for parts of the winter but not the entire time like mother bears tend to do, officials said. Instead, they have been known to be active during winter due to the lack of extreme winter weather and the availability of food across the region.

Juvenile males have been expanding the range of black bears in the Washington area in recent years.

In May 2025, an 18-month-old male was tranquilized and safely removed from a tree in Prince George’s County, while in May 2024, residents in Arlington and in the District’s Brookland neighborhood spotted juvenile males roaming the street.