Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

Bears have been living in Estonia for a very long time. Currently, 650 to 700 bears have been counted in Estonia, and their numbers remain stable.

The rut for bears is from the middle of May until the middle of June. Hibernation usually begins in November and lasts until March / April. As a rule, cubs are born in January. Newborns are very small and their birth weight does not exceed half a kilogram. By scaring a mother bear with cubs away from the nest in January / February, the mother bear usually does not return to the cubs.

Bears become sexually mature at the age of 3 and give birth by the age of 4 to 5. A mother bear has cubs every other year. Adult bears can weigh over 200 kg. Foraging fields and feeding places are created for bears. The bear’s only enemy is man.

Hunting from hides and a stalking hunt are allowed for bears, except for a mother bear with cubs, from 1 August until 31 October, in areas where the bears have caused damage, in order to prevent further damage. Therefore, so-called nuisance bears may be hunted.

Most bears live in Viru and Jõgeva Counties. To ensure an even distribution of bears in Estonia, the hunting of bears is avoided in southern counties. As a rule, hunted adult bear trophies are medal-worthy.