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Main Boards => Dangerous Game => Topic started by: GrayRhino on February 08, 2007, 01:53:00 AM
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Does anyone have experience hunting black bears from the ground, as in spot and stalk hunting?
Tell me about your hunt, the spec's of your equipment, shot placement, etc. I'm wetting my appetite for the possibility of a spring bear hunt. :)
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I sort of spot and stalked one in 2004. I spotted him a week before the season opened and watched him daily until I snuck in and set up a double bull along his travel path, 6 yard shot with the bears feet level with my head. The shot went in at the elbow and came out a little over half way up on the oppisite side through the back edge of the shoulder blade. I was using a 64# Robertson Falcon recurve and 680 grain arrows. He went about 40 yards. Joseph
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I killed one last May spot & stalk here in Southeast AK. Odd conditions...bear was out in a tide flat in the middle of the day. No cover anywhere. Nice cross wind. When I finally got to 40 yards I realized he was eating something. At about 10 yards he looked right at me and I crouched down. When he turned I stood and shot. He was laying down and my arrow was off. My arrow struck his neck and cut his carotid artery and he died after a 70 yard run in about 10 seconds. Turns out he was eating a dead bear.
55# Robertson longbow 650 grain Ramin arrow with 160 grain Ribtek head.
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Cool thread...I will be following it. I need to learn all I can on this. :thumbsup:
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The biggest thing I've found that is important for spot and stalk bears is WIND DIRECTION.Bears can't see all that well maybe a 100 or so yrds.If your set up with good wind direction and they haven't got a clue your around you should have a good chance at them.I live in an area of BC where the bears are everywhere so you get to start quite a few stalks.Start being the main word.Some are successful and most are not and the main thing for me is when the wind is right.I've watched bears from a 100 yards deciding to go after them or not with them not knowing we were there and had the wind change and watch them go like a bat outta hell.Just watch the wind and go for it.
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I have to agree with the importance of knowing your wind direction. I have hunted them in PWS for the past three years on the ground, over bait and not. The bait definitely helps, but the stalking was a great experience. Last spring I had two immature black bears walk within 10 yards of us and they had no idea we were there. In fact we had them stand and look around because I think they heard us, but just couldn't locate us. I can't wait till Memorial Day weekend...
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I have spotted and stalked black bears before; and for me its about wind and walking quietly over anything.
Here in Idaho in the spring; the wet ground seems like an easy way to go; but the grinding of rocks underground together has not been a friend.
If you can find existing trails; and slowly stick on the trails your odds go up.
Bear trails are the best to follow; as they really like to be quiet and will remove twigs and noisy stuff as they walk the trail.
Elk and deer trails can be good - but all game trails have obstacles- like stuff they either push through or go under.
I really like windy days - although wind can swirl; when there are regular puffs of strong wind; you can use these moments to move through bit by bit- really noisy stuff: undetected.
I carry and use binoculars when I do this; I carry mine inside my jacket under my right arm; you need to use a longer than ussual strap to do so- I use a boot lace.
I do this because you don't need your binoculars to drag or catch on something while your sneaking through stuff.
I move a short distance; glass; and move a short distance again; the shorter the distance often is to the advantage.
When I glass I look for anything that might be a part of a bear; but mostly I look for brush moving.
When a bear is bedded; you just about have to trip over it to find it. But when they feed; you can see bushes moving as they strip off berries etc.
In the fall the wasps move from paper nests to ground nests. The wasps move their larvae to the ground nests; and bears love the larvae.
When they are digging them up you can hear it; but more often you can hear them grumbling about the stings they are recieving.
As wasps like using old road beds; and old road beds can be the quietiest place to stalk; watching for the paper nests in trees; and then really scoping the trails and areas near them- you can do some super snooping.
I have heard that bears are not totally color blind. That makes some sense as they come in different colors; but I have heard they can see blue over other colors.
I had a bait this year with a stand over it; and a friend sat in it with blue jeans on; and the bears figured the stand location out where they had not before. It may have been movement - but bluejeans just don't seem appropriate.
I camo up as good as I can; including face paint.
Watch for any movement out of place ( if you look at a spot when the wind is blowing- then keep watching as the wind slows you will spot movement that is out of place).
Keep in mind the better you do this; the higher the chance of success - but too: the higher the chance you will get close to sows and cubs.
Its fun stuff.
I would like to say I have killed several bears this way- but I don't remember killing any this way. I have been succesful at getting close enough to touch bears with my bow; but I always had already filled my tag; or the bear was on someones bait; or was not the bear I wanted to take.
But I have 'counted coup' on several; reaching out slowly and tapping them with my bow. The bears have always taken off quickly; and a couple have come back and popped their jaws in anger; but so far; I haven't gotten beaten up for it.
I had a relative that used to shoot deer with a rifle for lumber camps; and he told me that each step in the woods reveals a completely different woods- that is that each step lets you see something new.
I do that when I am stalking; and it is good advise for any game.
Fun stuff!!! good luck :)
:campfire: :archer:
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I forgot to mention; that I bought some knee pads- they cost like a buck plus shipping on ebay- that were made for paint-ball competition. They have soft rubber for the surface that touches the ground; and it allows you to be quiet and think sneaking on the knees when your stalking... and that can really be important!
:campfire: :archer:
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Brian, do most guys carry a backup gun for spot & stalk black bears in ID? I'm new around here and thinking about a spring hunt. Never hunted bear before. Thanks.
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i used to kill bark peeling bear for a couple of timber companys . tracked them and shot them in their beds. i still kill bear that way. got two last fall. one still sleeping and one that heard me and was shuffle trotting off.
thats the only way i've ever hunted bear. it's against the law to carry a firearm when archery hunting in washington, but i've never worried too much about bear. the only dangerous ones i've ran into were bear that people had spoiled by feeding etc.
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Shot a blackie via spot and stalk in BC two years ago, and am going back this year for another try. Tremendous experience. Saw 80 to 90 bears in a week and had quality stalks every day. Outfitter told me he thought more bowhunters blew opportunities by not being aggressive enough (too slow during stalk) and getting caught by wind change. I got to within 9 yards of the bear I shot as it was feeding away from me on fresh grass and clover on a very open pipeline. I moved very quickly, running crouched over at some points, fast crawling on all fours at other times, and only stopping when the bear picked up its head from feeding. Zipped arrow completely through it with 60# recurve, cedar shafts, and Zwickey head. Quiet shoes and clothes a must. Practice shooting from your knees. Get in shape by walking or running and practice walking/running crouched over so your muscles are used to it and it will help you be more quiet and alert so that you can concentrate on the animal and what it is doing rather than on trying to catch your breath or figure out how you are going to move your legs after the lactic acid kicks in and your legs are burning. Good luck.
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how do you all go about spotting the bears your wanting to stalk? What kind of areas do you look for? please be specific.
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Bard,
In the early spring you want to find where the green up is, and the biggest bears will be on the best green patches (at least that is how it works for us in BC). Logging companies power seed the new roads (to limit erosion), so look for that. South slopes green up first, so that is another place to look. With Idaho having road closures (use to live in Lewiston), you can have the place to yourself. Cover country (on mountain bike), look for bear scat on the road, and if there is more than 3-5 piles of crap in a 100 yard area you have found a possible spot to watch. Right out of the den they tend to stick to certain spots for as long as a week or more, so if the scat is fresh you are in the game. But cover lots of country, and you will find them. Manfromthepast had a good point on stalking. You need to get close, and quick. Close being 80 yards and in. Winds in the mountains are fickle, and if you are stalking a bear like you would a bedded mule deer, you will lose. Spring winds/thermals are unpredictable. Close the gap quickly, move in when his head is down feeding, and hammer him! Good luck.
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I only did it once. In S.E alaska. It was in the fall. I glassed the streams that had salmon in them. The bears would usually catch a fish and go into the brush to eat it. When done they would go right back to the last spot they caught the previous fish. I just waited for a bear to go eat then hurried to the spot and waited. The shot was 12 yards. The noise of the water helps.
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I used to stalk bears in the spring feeding on fresh spring grasses in a couple of valley meadows but unfortunatly the anti hunter groups here in Ontario put alot of preasure on our polititions and closed our spring bear hunt a few years back.What a shame.Alot of nusinces bears now.I once stalked a bear laying on its belly feeding on grass.Got within 20 yards with good wind but could not see the bear from there due to the hieght of the growth so i had to wait for him to stand.After about and hour waiting the wind hit the back of my neck strait to the bear,he let out a loud woof and stood strait up on his hind legs looking for me but it was to late,i shot him right between his two front legs,best shot i have ever made on a game animal.After the hit he bit down on the fletching sticking out his chest,hit the ground and barreled away through the brush and went down about 60 yards latter.Awsome hunt.equipment used was a 66 inch longbow pulling 58 lbs at my draw,an easton 2016,145 gr journeyman head with a 45 grain broad head adapter. (http://23.jpg)
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Great thread, gentlemen. I'm thinking about a black bear hunt in B.C. and this information is being saved for future use. Thanks very much to all for taking the time to post. Good hunting! Curt
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In Alaska some years ago with two of my brothers, we spotted a good one on a hill across the river. I oared my brother Steve across and he took off up the hill while I tied down the raft. Steve got a little disoriented and surprised the bear and himself by bouncing it at about 15 yards in some thick cover. The wind swirled and the bear snapped and snarled as he tried to make out the source of his surprise. The bear was facing Steve so he couldn't shoot for a time and was a little concerned he had left without me. The bear finally turned but the arrow missed! Later that same trip we spotted a nice bear walking into a willow patch. We surrounded the patch and Steve again was in the shooters seat - but this time a willow branch deflected the shaft. The bear ran by me at close range and I too missed . . .although I have no excuse. The bear ran out of luck when it stopped in front of our other brother Butch who shot it at about 12 yards. The shaft went through the lungs but the bear simply stood there which allowed Butch to put another arrow through his chest. He died on the spot!
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Many here hit it on the nail on the head. Wind, wind, wind and wind.............
The other thing that works well "sometimes" is calling. I have not had much luck with rabbit calls or fawn bleeds but late May/early June the boars will come to a bear cub call quite willingly. The only thing is, that usually you need a caller and the shooter has to set up off to the side a bid. Some bears come in straight and on a mission to kill and others slower and more sneaky down wind. I only call when I see the bear I am trying to get to come and I will change position after having called so that I and the shooter will be out of the wind as good as possible.
Shot placement: If you get both lungs, they go nowhere. I had them die on the spot and up to 40 yards with a good shot. With a bad shot they can go for a loooong way. They usually leave little to no blood. I use specially trained tracking dogs on the leash to try to find these. Last year I had two that still lived and one was a next day search.
I use a 60# Algoma Packbow and have used carbon express with Silver Flame Broad Heads. But my clients use anything from about 50#'s with wood and a whole assortment of broadheads. Ryan and Bret showed me what snuffers do to a moose and they leave a lot of blood to follow. Defiantly not a bad thing.
Good luck!
Michael
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The 2 times I have tried predator calls it called in the wrong kind of bear>The ones with the big hump on there back and chip on there shoulder.But one thing they both came in like they were on a leash.
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Matty, I bet calling in those grizzlies left you with some new grey hair! Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to stalk black bears with you while I'm up visiting Terrace. T
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Just posted this on the PowWow.....figured I might as well post it here also.
Tuff hunting, but very rewarding just sighting the critters.
He's what little I know about hunting the N GA Mts.
Hunt white oaks....big ones. Try and find some on a Mt. top, knoll, ridge or long slopping lead. Personally, I haven't had as much luck hunting IN the bottoms. I think they must work their way down, and get in the bottoms after dark. I have had luck with major leads that end up in the bottoms.
The bears will most likely be climbing the white oaks the 1st two weeks of the season, then gathering underneath the rest of the season.
Try your best to find white oaks with claw marks and white oak groves with lots of scat and other bear sign. If more than one bear is using the area, then your odds of a sighting are increased dramatically.
Travel funnels between two oak groves is also a great place to set up if you can't decide which tree they are bound to hit. Look for trails twice as wide as deer trails, and a bear trail will have a 'packed down' texture vs the crunched up of a deer trail.
Pre scouting a week or days before the season opens is much more productive than 2 weeks before.
The best tip I can give you is to hunt a single tree with lots of scat near it....BUT!!!, you must find at least one fresh pile....how fresh? With flies on it!!!...if a pile aint got flies on it, I keep a walking.
Sparse acorn crop?...gotta wear out some boot leather to find the few trees that are producing. Can be tuff to find, but once you do, the bears will be there.
Normal acorn crop?....sign will be easier to find since the bears are moving a lot from tree to tree, and scattered about a bit more.
If we have a drought?...and all the acorns fall just before the season?....then I don't commit to any trees or groves, I walk and walk and walk, cause the bears will not have to move for food, you will have to find them. Walk travel routes like mentioned before, but try to walk those with known running water near by, since water will be scarce during a drought as well.
Afternoons are better than mornings, but that don't keep me from hunting mornings. I've seen them as late as 10 am.
While walking in, pay attention to 'loud squirrels' in the trees...they may be a bear. If so, stalk the tree from down wind, and wait for the bear to climb down. Now, pay attention to the tree, you may need to get cross wind. If the tree is straight with no obstructions, there's no telling where he'll climb down. But, if the tree is leaning, or on the side of a steep ridge, or has some obstruction to one side, the bear will take the easy route down at the base.....clear from obstruction, up hill side, or least steep side if the tree is leaning. So, set up accordingly the best you can with the wind still in your favor.
The early season seems to congregate bears in higher elevations, and they work there way down in elevation, since the acorns will mature earlier up hi. Now bear in mind, that some times there is a late freeze in the spring, so those higher elevations will be void of sign due to the buds getting nipped. If that is the case, then move down the mountain a 1/3 of the way, and scout your way down. However, I have seen bears low the 1st part of the season, so the higher elevation is a guideline, not written in stone.
Two weeks before the season will be the tailing end of the last 'patten' before the acorn feed, and might be tempting, but don't fall for it. If you scout early, you will possibly find sign in berry patches, around wild cherry trees, and in dead pine groves the pine beetles devoured because of the grubs in the rotting pines. Unless you are in the highest elevations in GA, this should be what you will find. If you are in the highest elevations, then you should find them already on the acorns unless of course there was a late freeze in that area.
Another thing to look for is saddle ridges between two tops....or connecting leads. The right ones will have a trail suddenly appear as the knoll narrows through the saddle, and then it will disappear just as quick as it nears the next knoll or lead.
Seems the bears pilfer around these ridge tops, and use the 'spines' to travel to the next 'pilfering' area.
These trails can be 100 yards long, or 1000, but the trails will be packed down, not 'crunched' up like deer trails, and wide....and, most likely, it will meander by every mature white oak along the way.
One more thing.....
If you do decide to hunt in the Morning....and you have a REALLY hot spot....don't go 'into' it while its still dark. Lay back a little distance till dawn, and ease in there.....that way you wont blow em out...and you will have the added thrill of an early morning stalk.
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Terry wont be a mast this year Im afraid , dont know if some of the trees will eeven make it. That last freeze did some damage
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If that is the case.......then the bear will definately be on the move....and hordeing what ever food is available. Likely be raiding campsites as well.
Could be an interesting season this year....and a learning experience.
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Hello Gray Rhino, you may look no further than Whale Pass on Prince of Wales island has some gagger bears. I shot an almost B &C boar (20 5/16) back in 1999 on a do it yourself spring hunt. 4 of us rented a cabin from the Vassers family that live in Whale Pass. They supplied us with a boat and we cruised the shorelines in the evening looking for bears feeding on seaweed. I basically ditched the boat on the third evening and got them to let me out. I still hunted the shores bymyself and was able to slip up on an approaching boar before he went back into the woods. TBM published a story I wrote about this hunt in 2000. You find it through archives were I go more in detail on how we hunted and the Vassers address. Connie Renfro, a known female traditional bowhunter, contacted me after reading that article and she and her husband went the following year and had great success. good luck
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Just got back from Vancouver Island, BC two weeks ago. Awesome place for spot and stalk blackies. Killed a bruiser P&Y/B&C boar at 12 yds with 65 lb recurve and 2219's with Zwickey Eskimo heads. Complete pass through on a bear in the 450-500 lb range. He only went 43 yards after the shot. I saw bears shot by rifle hunters in camp that went a lot farther and one that just kept on going after taking a hit from a 300 mag. Must get both lungs or your chances of recovery are slim. Saw an average of 12-20 bears a day. Saw at least one bear each day that I would say was close to P&Y size. Had quality stalks every day. You'll spend a lot of time in a vehicle each day though riding around and glassing clearcuts, but that is the only downside of the hunt.
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Hey Manfromthepast, sounds like a lot of fun, mass in motion with a good 2 blade, do you think it would be a good place for a do it your self hunt?
12-20 bears a day you got to score LOL
Thanks in advance you can pm me if that wouldbe better
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Kingwouldbe - by law you must hunt black bears with a guide in BC unless you are a resident. Might be worth moving though!
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Good thread here. Thought I'd bring it back up!!
Hey GreyRhino....did you ever get your bear?
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Skitch,
Thanks for bringing this back up! I'm headed to SE Oklahoma in Oct. for another try at public ground bear huntin'.
Any more tips for fall ground hunters?
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Skitch,
thanks for bringing this back up! I'm headed to SE Oklahoma in Oct. for another try at public ground bear huntin'.
Any more tips for fall ground hunters?
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Hey Tony! Me too. Hope to be out there again on Oct 1st!! Had a blast last year and saw some bears.
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I will spot and stalk this year here in Maine, I am lucky enough to have the chance to hunt the 1 and 3 weeks of September AND October... I will spot and stalk until I find one and put the Woodsman Elite 150 into it