Bear Eluding Techniques?

[Dyed in Blue]

Never having hunt bear before, I was wondering about technique.  Should I hunt from a tree stand?  If so, how do I make the bears come to me?  If not, how do I not make the bears come too close to me?  Also what would be a safe minimum concerning bow, arrows, and broadheads?    :confused:    

[juneaulongbow]

Here in Southeast AK spot and stalk is the preferred method.  I've heard in AZ you can spot and stalk over Prickly Pear thickets.  I've hunted black bear with and without backup guns.  I have not shot one yet in three years.  From all my encounters, all bears fled when they noticed me.

Tree stand hunting would probably be done with bait.

I've had bears as close as 8 yards.  If they don't know you're there, there is no telling how close they'll get.

Minimum of 40 lbs required in AK.

[Tom Lagatol]

There's bear hunting...and then there's bear huntin. What I mean is that not all bear are alike.  The black bear of the Eastern side of N.America is generally considered to be of a different temperment/nature than the Brown/Kodiac/Grizzly  of the Western side.

I don't have experience in hunting those but have bowhunted Black Bear for a number of years;both on stand and on the ground. To consider all bear to have the same personality does them a great disservice and places you(the hunter)in a poorer perspective relative to your own safety.

I've had a couple "interresting" experiences with black bear, having a 400+pounder within about 8feet of me while in a ground blind...and another with a roughly 300pounder interrested in getting into my treestand.(while I was occupying it!)

I guess you can figure out that everything went ok for me. If your interrested, I didn't take a shot at either bear. In my mind I didn't have the proper angle to assure the best possible chance for a kill.

I do carry a "mini fire hydrant" of pepper spray.It's about 8-9" long and about 1 1/2" wide on me and accessable. I also have a very hi intensity flashlight that I keep as well...No such thing as firearm backup while bowhunting where I go in Quebec. Your pretty much on your own once you're in the bush and remain so usually until 10-11:00pm or so.

Something to remember about bears that persue a hunter in the dark hours...their intent is to eat you(most probably). I got that lovely piece of info from a Canadian "Bear Info/Safety" video that discussed the "proper" human reaction to various kind of bears and bear behavior.

Anyway I surly enjoy bear huntin but it is something that ya pretty much know in short order whether ya like or not. Good Huntin. TomL  

[Dyed in Blue]

Thanks Juneaulongbow.  Now that you mention it, I do remember that prickly pear is a big bear attraction.  In AZ, we can't use bait and of course during bowhunting season you aren't supposed to carry a gun with you.  I'll have to do some scouting to find a prickly pear patch that can offer me some sort of protection.

Thanks again.

[Dyed in Blue]

Thanks for the info Tom.  The pepper spray sounds like a great idea.  I heard that using a wounded animal call would work as well.  Would that work too well?  Any experience with that?

[Tom Lagatol]

Well Ben...about 4yrs ago I was up in a tree lookin to fill my doe tag. It was in NY, the southern zone. At dawn I gave what I intended to be a locater doe bleat. It turned out sounding more like a fawn call. I was really mad at myself for such a poor effort and quietly told myself that if "that" was my best deer callin, well then I aught to just keep my mouth shut!

Almost before I finished criticizing myself a 500+ lb black bear came in, joggin, lookin for me. He didn't stop till I could nearly hear him breathing.

So, the answer's YES, it's possible to call a bear.(in my experience)  TomL

PS-He's on my wall now.

[Matt Woodward]

Blue,

Use the predator call. The pears aren't ripe in AZ until late summer. Depends on what tag you have. August is killer for the pears. Do you have a spring hunt? if so, what unit? two close friends of mine have been very succesful with predator call and i have called in two up on black river (not hunting)

If you have a desert hunt, its all spot and stalk, and calling. Down south in the long hunts, alot of guys wait for the pears in summer and spend all their time watching active pear patches, then stalking or calling bears in. Very tough hunting no matter what you do.

Matt