Yeah Grizzlies have put an end to baiting in most of their range in the West. They moved into north western Alberta were Alberta Wilderness Adventure is based and they had to change their hunting tactics. I didn't see any griz in Alberta, only tracks but have every time I hunted BC. Sneaking up on a black bear is fun but doing it to a grizzly truly makes you feel alive with the sense of your own mortality. I know that sounds weird but if you ever get up on a big brown bear and see just how awesome they are up close you will understand. Your normal senses are jacked up 10X. Any way I've only S&S bears in western Canada and Alaska during the spring but I believe you can do it anywhere bears coming out of the den hit open areas of green feed and there isn't much human activity so they feel safe coming out during day light. I have not hunted fall berry patch or oak ridge bears before but might get down to George this fall to hunt with RC and the bears in the oaks. George bears feed heavy on acorns and there is no baiting in that state so you have to sneak up on them if you want to bow kill them.
Woofing. Since the time a cub comes out of the den for the first time they have been "woofed" up a tree by their mother. Whatever the reason, good, bad or none at all, cubs shoot up trees when mom says so or spooked. That sticks with them the rest of their lives. Bears for the most part are non confrontational with other bears. Sure they will scrap now and then when two bears of about the same size are in the same bad mood but most bears know where they stand with the other bears and everything is cool. I only chase bears that are retreating. Smaller bears will tree or just keep running to parts unknown and bigger bears look for a tree in case they have to climb but also want to see what is chasing them. Again they know their place in the bear pecking order and there are not many other bears in the woods giving them trouble. The bears I ran after in Alberta were all in flight mode because they smelled me. They might not have been hurry to get moving but they were in flight mode not fight mode. Flight is better then fight for me.
I don't challenge them. My buddy Jeff Lander of Primitive Outfitters in BC will challenge a rutting boar tending a sow but I'm still on the fence with that having only done it once and that time the boar did stand up to me with true intent. Not a big boar but still a teeth popping, bouncing up and down on his front legs, puffed up, pissed off black ball of mean. I shot the sow he was with since she was bigger and that fella was way unhappy. I also will not try and tree a bear that is on a bait pile and feeding. I think that might be a mistake to run in on a bear with his head in a 50gl drum. Even if it walked off I won't try it. They are used to people at bait sites and chasing them would be challenging them. Bears do scrap a bit at bait sites as I'm sure anyone who has bait hunted knows. Even a mid size bear thinks twice about leaving its food source and will only step aside if they can't win the fight. But you can sneak up on them at bait sites and I have more than few times. I haven't kill any that way but maybe someday.
Topic: Alberta S&S bear hunt, the good, the bad and the ugly. (Read 1687 times)
