Bears without bait??

[Chris Shelton]

Alright so I have seen Canadian bear hunts where the bush is thick and the only way to really hunt them is with bait.  Then I have seen the wide open hunts where you spot them miles off and you stalk them.  Then a bunch of shore style hunts where hunters cruise around and find the bears roaming the shore.  

MD has had a bear season for a couple of years now, it is based on a lottery point system.  This is my third year, so I got three points, and I'm feeling lucky.  I may be counting my chickens before they hatch, heck I might not even have a hen to lay some eggs for me . . . either way I will EVENTUALLY get a bear tag!  

So here is my delema . . . dad sees them all the time while hunting!  I only see LOTS of sign.  In MD we cannot use any type of bait, no scents or anything.  I have found a couple of berry patches, HOWEVER our season is at the end of October.  I was at one during fall turkey(same week as the bear season), and there were only a few berries left!  

IF the bear hunters in MD dont meet their quota we get another shot in December, and if there is snow, I could find some fresh tracks and have a good chance.  

So do you guys have any suggestions?  I see there are alot of bear hunters among us.  I will post some pics to give you guys an idea of what I am going up against.

[pete p]

hmm...sounds like the md game dept. has a poor grasp on reality.  like you said, the berries will be mostly gone. stalking them on the shoreline or in open meadows doesnt seem likely in the fall as the spring time is when theyd be in those areas going after the fresh green growth. and december??!! most bears in my neck of the woods have been asleep for a month.  i guess setting up near a beaver pond would be your best bet??  good luck

[Chris Shelton]

here is my terrain
 
and probably one of the better tracks as far as size, it was kinda old tho . . .

[Terry Green]

Chris....just TTTed one for ya

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by pete p:
hmm...sounds like the md game dept. has a poor grasp on reality.

yessum they do . . . but somehow magically the quota gets filled every year.  I found a pile of soybeans with a couple of deer hind quarters thrown in last year!  Called DNR, but I dont know if they did anything about it . . .

Normally the bears around here don't hibernate.  But I would be willing to be they did this past season, LOTs of snow, lol . . . but it ain't nothing to see a half dozen sets of tracks in the snow!

[Chris Shelton]

thanks terry:)

[John3]

I've done more fall bear bowhunting than spring..

Always pay attention to the wind... Scout looking for overturned rocks as the bears are looking for bugs.  Skinned up Oaks where they climb after food. Poke berry patches that look like a bulldozer has been in there. On top of bluffs/rocks where the bears sun themselves.. Ripped up yellowjacket/bee nests,, ect ect...
Get into the thick rough stuff and you will find the bears or their sign... Bear trails are worn smooth.  Look hard enough and you will find them.

John III

[Ragnarok Forge]

Sit down and have a long chat with your local bear bioligist with the Fish and Game Department.  Find out which units have the highest numbers and which ones have the highest and lowest hunter counts. Learn what food sources they are using the most during your bear seasons.  Then find out where the best groupings of those food sources are located. Get out and scout hard in those areas and adjacent areas.  Look for trails and travel lanes.  Also look for choke points in those travel lanes.  Ambushing them as they move works just like it does for deer.  Bears in the fall are packing on weight as fast as possible which means food sources are good places to start.  Do your research and buy some good books on bear hunting, and the life cycle and yearly behavior of bears.  Also research on the web for bear studies in your state or nearby states.  They are often full of usefull information.  

If you want some serious excitement practice up and try predator calling.  It is some heart racing fun to have a 300 lb + bear come in popping it's jaws looking for whatever has the dying deer or rabbit in it's jaws.  I always carry a big canister of full on high pepper concentration bear spray when predator calling as a back up to my bow.  

If you do the research and foot work, you will have a good chance at harvesting a bear without bait.

[J-dog]

Sounds like our situation here in eastern NC - just about impossible unless you get lucky - I found some good travel areas last year but still nothing.

J

We can use a scent but still it is rough hunting.

[KentuckyWolf]

check the "Fall Bear in GA with no baits or dogs-How to?" tread......similar issues/challenges

[Tater]

There are a couple pretty good videos out there about calling bears with predator calls.
    One that comes to mind is by Wayne Carlton, I have not personally tried this but a couple of my buddies say it works.

[J-dog]

I have had them come to fawn bleats in early bow season in which they are not legal, and some real monsters had to stand up on one and found that he didn't care about my profile! he kept easing towards me, but in that area they are in alot of regular human contact. -
In early august, Sept they seem to be moving good here I get alot of trail cam pics - but in November what I run into is the fact the dogs that are running deer (yes-legal    ) puch the bears to the deep woods. So it turns into a LONG walk through fire paths, bottoms, and some cambodian style jungle to get where they have moved. Course I am still trying every yr to get one with my curve! bout 3 yrs hard hunting at this point and still no luck - still fun!

J

[Wildschwein]

Walk, walk, and walk some more. I just hit as many cutblocks and cutlines as I can find and hope I run into Bears. Seen two so far this year, but only got within 40 yards. Gotta keep trying though.

[JimB]

Chris,forget berries.In the Fall,bears are on mast crops.Beech nuts,acorns etc.They will travel long distances seasonally to be on the best current foods.it sounds like you know areas that have bears during hunting season.Scout until you find trees they are feeding on.Concentrate on those areas.Tracking isn't as simple as you think.First,it is hard to catch up with a bear,second,you can't play the wind,you have to follow the track,regardless of which way it goes and not knowing exactly where the bear is,you never know if you have the wind right.

The predator call might be a good option,especially if two of you work together.The bear's full time job in the Fall is eating.It doesn't turn down much.

Personally,if I wanted to bowhunt bears,I would head to West Virginia.

[Homebru]

The predator calling sounds interesting.  The first thing that came to my mind....can you hunt over a fresh kill?  Maybe shoot a deer and let it lay?  Some places this is legal.  You know where they are, it's now a matter of style.
homebru

[wollelybugger]

In Pa. you are not allowed to bait or call bears. We usually hunt over mast crops,  Bears here hibernate when they can't find enough food and start to use more energy looking than eating. Find out what they are eating and you will be on the right track.

[JimB]

"The predator calling sounds interesting. The first thing that came to my mind....can you hunt over a fresh kill? Maybe shoot a deer and let it lay? Some places this is legal. You know where they are, it's now a matter of style.
homebru "

I hope you are kidding about this.Nowhere is this legal.

[wildgame]

i hunt tenn. for bear and there is no baiting there either! we find trails and oak groves. this is in the mountans and when you find a trail its usaully a good one! good luck with getting drawed.
ps. tenn is a little unknown honey hole and tags are sold over the counter 250.00 out of state and this is your deer and turkey tags also!  

[jbuck9]

This year in Pa they are opening an archery season for bear the first time state wide, its the week that follows are regular archery deer season the 3rd week of Nov. now in Oct the areas my buddy and I hunt we see bear up the kazoo, but when Nov. arrives very seldom do we see any, we also cannot use bait or scent, if you would happen too find a dead deer don't get caught hunting any place near it or you will get nailed.
that is bait even if you did not place it there, hunt near a stream that has thick cover and I mean thick , the best way is out of a tree stand along the stream, Ive watched bears in the rifle season pop there heads out and get a few sniffs and right back in with there head and as long as two hours later back out again with the head and if things smell ok they will come out, you will not get past a bears nose, no way no how, I know you cannot bait but bears,but they do love the black sunflower seed, we can feed in the woods but must be removed 30 days prior too the season, which helps for taking pics but thats about it, wish you luck and hunt close too thick cover, and from a tree stand, look for tracks along the stream or spring creek when you find those areas stay out till the hunt.