Black bears are most active between April and November. By late November, they are preparing for hibernation, and will spend the entire winter in a small den, which may take any of a number of forms. Sometimes, a bear will dig out a den beneath the roots of an overturned tree. I found one such hole under a large overturned tree on another part of the property. Able to fit into amazingly small spaces, bears might also choose a hollow stump or even hollowed standing trees, brush piles, or on the ground in a thickly canopied forest, such as one of many dry areas in our cedar swamp. Bears have also been known to simply lie on the ground alongside a tree, allowing snow to cover its body.