Boys who are in the third grade or who are 9 years old join a Bear Cub Scout den. Those who join the Bear den without having been a Wolf Cub Scout must earn the Bobcat badge. Then all the Cub Scouts in the den work their way along the trail to earn their Bear badge.

Compared to the things that Wolf Cub Scouts do, the trail of the Bear is a little harder. For these older Cub Scouts, the activities for advancement and achievement are more challenging. The Bear Handbook has 24 Bear achievements, 12 of which a Cub Scout must complete to earn his Bear badge. The book also gives instructions for 25 electives, which a Bear Cub Scout may work on to earn Arrow Points.