Anyone hunting California Public Land?

[PrestonTaylor]

Both. Depends on whether or not they can smell you. Usually pre-dawn I am moving up hill towards my hunting spot (because thermals are flowing down hill during the night), and encountering bears at that time they usually can't smell me. so sometimes they get huffy, but after I announce I am a person they leave. If the bear can smell me they always run off, because we hunt them too. I've been inside 10 yards from dozens and dozens and dozens of bear (without bait) and have not yet been injured, even though some of the bears take more convincing to leave than others, and some of those times have been with sows and cubs. However, I know 2 people, personally, who have been attacked by black bears. So it's rare but can happen. Carry bear spray until you can read bear body language and have the confidence to interact with bears without protection. Most people that are scared of bears just haven't ever spent much time with them and it's more a fear of the unknown. That doesn't mean I'm careless around them though.

[danshao]

Awesome thanks very much! Guess it's just like other skills the more you do it the less uncertain and scary it feels. Yeah I'll wear a spray for sure. I might even go as far as buying a bear tag in case I run into one and don't wanna just spray it away  

[danshao]

So I did some scouting and found fresh signs but they are about 15-20 min walk from the nearest vehicle trail. I wonder if the spot will still be good when it's bowhunting season?

We also ventured some 2000 ft down in altitude into a large saddle that very few can reach but it's no good for summer bow hunting since all them deers are somewhere up high for the heat.