Will 1st year bears make it through winter without Mom?

[First-light]

We had two sows with 3 and 4 cubs in the area. Tonight the three cubs showed up on there own under my tree stand. They were running around like a chicken with out a head. 5 minutes no Sow should up. Heard a shot at 3 pm from the direction they showed up from at 4 pm. Called DEC they are not back until Monday morning. 

[E J]

Yes they will make it unless something goofy happens. I shot a sow in PA quite a few years ago. It's totally legal there. When I checked it in I talked to the game commission guys about it.  They said the cubs would be fine and lots of sows with cubs are shot during their season. 

[Shoots100]

Unless the kill was under a nusience tag issued by the DEC, it's illegal to knowingly shoot a sow with cubs in NY state.

The cubs should make it, but being their motherless, they'll be more prone to go into areas to feed that they normally wouldn't be going into before trying to find a place to hibernate.