1st Grizzly of Year Spotted in Yellowstone Park Backcountry

Who knew that bears have a calendar inside their den where they spend hibernation, all tucked in and warm, out of the cold of Montana's harsh winters in the wilderness.

via GIPHY

That is the only explanation I can reasonably come up with since for the past 5 years, the grizzly bears that live amongst the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park have all seemed to emerge right around this time, regardless of how easy or nasty the weather has been.

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1st Grizzly of Year Spotted in Yellowstone Park Backcountry

Yellowstone officials announced that the first sighting of 2026 came on March 9th, in the northern backcountry of the park.  Biologists spotted the bear scavenging on a bull bison carcass.

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The sighting date coincides with past years when the male grizzlies first begin to emerge from their dens:

• 2025 occurred on March 14
• 2024 occurred on March 3
• 2023 occurred on March 7
• 2022 occurred on March 3

See what I mean?!  They have to have a calendar with those dates marked.  (It's probably more to do with eco-system and years of DNA things I have to no clue about; I'm sticking to my guns with the calendar theory for now.)

Officials Offer Start of the Year Advice as More Bears Begin to Appear in Park

While the male bears are just now appearing, it will be another month for the female and cubs to appear, generally in April and May.

via GIPHY

But officials are warning visitors to the park to be bear aware now:

All of Yellowstone is grizzly and black bear country: from the deepest backcountry to the boardwalks and parking lots around Old Faithful. Protect yourself and bears by following our safety guidelines.

To learn more about guidelines for the park and other information, visit the National Park Service website here.  For tips and guidelines about backcountry areas of Montana, visit the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website here.