Mount Shasta

@Toker

yes, they are.. and - as cute as their cubs can be - I hate it when a couple of them playfully tumble out onto the trail and want to investigate me ... I know damn well momma's around.. and CLOSE BY..

luckily for me.. both times I was backing away and momma somehow signaled them to come back..

even so, it's the cougars that I'm more concerned about.. at least five dog-snatches up here - IN TOWN - by cougars past 30 days.. and multiple broad daylight pig, goat kills..

and - yes - I'm packing when hiking..

indeed, young bears are cute and cuddly, but sub adults and adults are quite mischievous to say the least. Fun to watch regardless.

Remember that Black Bears Hibernate. They need to build up enough fat to provide enough Nutrition to survive the winter. Mother bear usually give birh in the winter and the cubs don't hibernate so they need to rely on the mother milk to keep them fed. The last time I visited a bear cave in the winter, the cubs were active and playful.

@Wally Pitcher

yes.. they're quite active..

strange around here..

so many cougars..

in Yreka, three cougar (Mom, cubs) walking down street in midday.. just 50 yards from State Hwy.. they walking down street looking for pets.. unattended kids.. 1/2 mile from shopping center w/ Wal-Mart, grocery & appliance store, 5 fast food restaurants..
city folk move up and wonder where their pets are.. like someone stole them.. they might want to keep kids/pets inside if unattended..

it's not like it used to be.. he'll, there's so few deer left.. they used to give 11,700 tags in zone up here by Oregon.. now? 750

so many bears.. over 70,000 in CA now..
4,600 harvest allowed but rarely are even 1,000 taken.. very few people actively 'hunt' bear.. most all are incudentally taken during deer hunts..

cougars are now in towns (and cities) drinking from pools..

and- of course - gray wolves re-established themselves.. three packs within 30 miles of me..
they had a lockdown at public school nearby (Little Shasta.. near Montague) because wolf was standing on other side of fence staring at kids..

then there's the groups trying to re-introduce grizzlies in Northern California..

there's not enough game for all these predators..
there will be a reckoning..