Depending on weather, Black bears may emerge from hibernation in early March in the Catskill Mountain range. Black bears will most likely emerge from hibernation by April 1st.
I can personally attest that Bears are out of hibernation now, because I was out hiking on Overlook Mt. near Woodstock, NY on April 3rd, 2011 and came across multiple sets of bear tracks, so bears are definitely out of hibernation now.
Source(s):
Personal experience