Black bear hunting

[Slim]

Hello Guys,

I live in bear country. Most guys around here either use hounds or bait for bear. We hunt in thick bush and lots of it.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about other techniques such as stalking or still hunting for bear.

Also, has anyone ever sat in a ground blind over bait for bear?

Lastly, what are your thoughts on arrow weight and bow poundage for black bear?

Thanks...

[Terry Green]

I use the same set up for Black Bears that I use for whitetails, and have no reservations at all.

We hunt white oaks during the season here, cause the bears will be in the trees during the 1st part of the season, then raking them up off the ground during the later part of the season.  

You can "cruize" the white oak groves listening for large black 'squirrels' in the trees, or set up on a single tree that the bears are using.

For the last 3 years, I have just about forgone all whitetail hunting during bow season I enjoy it so much.  I turn to the whitetails during gun season, still toating the bow of course.

No baiting in GA.

[DiamondD]

I have shot two bears with my bow and both times I was hunting elk and stumbled on the bears.  One was a spot and stalk and the other was called in.  

I agree with Terry that a deer or elk setup will work on bears BUT I want to shoot them with a BIG 3 or 4 blade head for better blood trails.

[Twang]

Diamond, I'm going to try my hand at a little bear hunting this fall.

How do you call a bear?   :confused:

[O.L. Adcock]

Slim, Every part of the country requires different techniques. In the Pacific Northwest, I had good luck still hunting 3 or 4 year old clear cuts. The brush was so think, you'd either hear them rooting around in the berry bushes like hogs or hear them tearing up a log. The trick was to then try a stalk or determine which way they were moving and get in front of them. The other method I did a lot and that was calling. Once one was spotted or you could hear one within 100 yards or so, cut loose with a bear call as hard and loud as you could. About 8 or of 10 would run straight to you. Ocassionally we'd have more than one bearing down at the same time from different directions. Don't think that didn't get interesting! LOL  They'll come into 20 yards or so and circle trying to determine what is killing that critter. That is where you try to pick a shot through the brush. Many times shots wern't possible or they were smaller than you wanted to shoot.

Here in the Southwest, water is the key and I've taken them out of a ground blind set close to a water hole they are using. Oak groves and bottle neck travel routes are good too. I watch such a spot for elk and had 9 bears within 20 yards of me in 4 days watching that trail last year! Bears are fun, especially up close and personal!...O.L.    

[Terry Green]

Diamond,

You aggree with Terry BUT?    

No ifs, ands, or buts!!!!  

[herb haines]

was hoping to get out today and check old bait station .was 3/4 full of oats ect last fall when freeze up came .
as you can see we are allowed to bait here in New Brunswick . did a lot of lugging last year and fed one bear real good   :D  . never did see him ,busted him once about 5 pm as i was leaving after putting some more sticky buns out .
 tried hunting off the ground but when i was using bait always has this sensation of drool dripping down the back of my neck , hard to sit still with the flies and your own thoughts . will try height this year , hate heights and my 330# doesn't bounce good .also 330# could make a few feeds for a skinny spring bear .just a few thoughts that drift through your head as you sit 15 yds from a bears dinner plate .  :D  --- herb

[juneaulongbow]

I'll be hunting blackies with my 55# Robertson longbow any day now.  2 blade 160 g Ribteks.  Their out here in Southeast Alaska but it's been warm and dry the last week, so I'm waiting on the grass to come up so I can stalk'em.

Haven't taken one yet but 2 years ago I ambushed a big one at 8 yrds.  He whuffed and bolted. That was my first bow hunt and with a compound.

Last year was pretty uneventful so hopefully I'll get some good stalks in this year and a bear.

Good Luck

Chris

[bayoulongbowman]

Terry , I agree with you on the blades .I have talked to lots that the Mangus with the bleeder, with good sucess...ya got have your ducks in a row thats for sure...OL was telling me by phone how curious bears are of the pop up blinds like the double bull...Im going to try one for deer..and hogs this year.......#78 Mark..

[O.L. Adcock]

Yep, me too on the big nasty broadheads. They are thin skinned like deer so getting in there is not a problem. Fond of Snuffers myself.

At least in this neck of the woods, they have no fear and show great curiosity to ground blinds. No doubt they can smell you but I think as long as they don't see or hear any danger, they ignore and come on in. Make a little noise however and they are outa there.....O.L.

[Ric Anderson]

Here in Montana baiting is not allowed so our only option is to spot and stalk. In the early spring I hunt the low ground where the bears come out of hibernation the earliest.  Old logging roads that are blocked off and green with spring grasses are often productive.  Another place we hunt early in the spring is swamps that have alot of skunk cabbage.  Why a bear would want to eat that stuff is beyond me but they do seem to favor it.   Later on in the spring we backpack into the back country and hunt the avalanche chutes.  Because the majority of the snow on these chutes had slid sometime in the winter, they bare-up first and start getting green grass even though the surrounding areas are still deep with snow.  It is pretty rugged hunting since avalanches don't happen on flat ground.        The other issue we have to deal with when hunting this back country is that the bears we run into  are quite often the wrong species.  Hopefully in the future before I get too old, they will again allow us to hunt grizzlies.  I hunted them when I was growing up with a rifle but never picked up a bow and went after one.  I would do it in a heartbeat now if I had the chance.

Fall bear hunting is also centered around food sources.  Huckleberry patches usually have a bear or 2 hanging around and it's quite challenging to stalk a bear in that type of brush.  Another fall hunting location is old apple orchards.  I have to admit though that I have a hard time getting interested in fall bears when the bulls are bugling.  :D

[juneaulongbow]

Ric,

When did Montana last have a Grizz season?

Chris

[waterone]

I too live in bear country, I work for the largest city in the area, and see about two bear a year in the city limits!  As a matter of fact, one of the local schools have ahd two "alerts" as there were black bear on school grounds during school hours.

Anyway, the territory around eastern NC is real, real thick, brushy and mucky, with lots and lots of water.  All the bear hunting that I am aware of around here is done with hounds and I really don't want to do that.  Baiting is illegal.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to hunt bear in real thick brush?  I have thought about calling, but the idea that I'll be calling a dominant bear into me looking for a meal, armed with only a recurve or long bow is a bit daunting, so I believe I  will pass on that one.

Chuck

[O.L. Adcock]

Yep, Baiting isn't legal here in NM either. We're using the blinds around water and food sources. Only saw 12 at less than 20 yards in 5 days of hunting last year! Saw 3 in the first 30 minuets in the blind, killed 3#. The other 9 were while elk hunting.

Chuck, Calling them is a blast! Think of yourself as the bait!     Especially in thick brush they tend to come in hard and then circle a 20 or so yards trying to determine what is killing that critter. If it's a bear bigger than them, they'll get their butt whipped. Best done in pairs but I have called them alone, hard to get a shot by yourself. The trick to calling them is to be within 100 yards to start with and easy terrain between you and them, call loud, hard, and continuous. Gets entertaining in a hurry when more than one comes at the same time!....O.L.

[Terry Green]

OL........what type/brand call do you use?

[waterone]

O.L., Hunting around water holes would be nice, except a lot of eastern NCc is nothing but swamp!!  Also this area has some of the densest cover I have ever seen, and I have been in mountain laurel "hells", S. Georgia swamps, Florida Swamps and some swamps in the Carribean, but these areas take the cake.  Someimes a long distance in in the woods is only 20 feet!

Just today in the local paper there was a picture on the front page of a bear in a tree across the street from the local Catholic School.

As to calling bears, I know people who have called them up trying for coyotes, but the idea of a BIG bear coming in for a dying rabbit, with me only armed with a bow is a bit much.    

This area has BIG bears, several over 750 lbs. have been taken, heavy and big, but not old, so no big skulls yet - maybe in 10 years.

I may be crazy, but I too am interested in the types of calls you recommend.      

By the way I love these Graemlins!!

Chuck

[O.L. Adcock]

Tarzzz and Waterone, I use the one made bt Carlton's especially for bears. I have also used the "cub bawl" with some sucess but that one makes me nervous without a gun. I've used it mostly to call them back after not getting a shot or they realize something is up. Yes, I hear you on the water thing, you'd just have to hunt food sources and 9 of the ones I had within 20 yards last year was just watching a "bottle neck" close to food sources much like a spot you'd pick for deer. This spot/trail is up against a steep hill and they have the choice of traversing the steep hillside or skirting an open meadow. Being basically lazy like me, they travel this trail to avoid both. So do the elk!    400 yards from camp too!.....O.L.

[DiamondD]

Twang,

Sorry I didn't answer before I kind of forgot about this forum for a few days!    

It is forgiveable because it is turkey season!    

I use Wayne Carletons call just like O.L. and I would recommend getting the video even if you never plan on calling, seeing or shooting a black bear.  Hunters Specialties now sells all of Waynes calls.  Wayne calls in several bears on that video and one of them is BIG.  He pepper sprays that one from up CLOSE!

I have tried blind calling in likely spots and haven't had any luck yet, but when you can see a bear out there and start blowing that call it is wild watching them come running.

My buddy and I had a small bear cover 150 yards in seconds at a dead run to get to us and the wind was blowing straight to him!

Calling bears is wild and I hope to do a lot more of it.

[waterone]

Dean;

Now that you bring it up, do you think that pepper spray could dissuade a dominant black bear that comes in responding to a call?  How 'bout if he has been shot with an arrow?  If I do try calling, I'll have either a 44 mag, or 41 mag or a 10mm with hunting loads, this is not a problem as there is no bow season on bears in NC

As I mentioned before, see the link below about a bear in a residential area near a school - people freaked out (at least the one not use to the area)

  Trent Woods can only grin and \\'bear\\' it  

It refers to the number of large bears taken in this area.

Any suggestions on how to stay alive would be appreciated.

Chuck

[DiamondD]

Chuck,

Wayne calls in several bears on his tape that are either not in season or that are too small to kill that he uses the pepper spray on and it seems to work well.  As far as a wounded bear goes, umm... I dunno!    

I know if it was me and I had a wounded bear coming AT me I would want my .45 Colt over a can of spray any day.

Personally I don't sweat black bears much as they seem to be more scared of me than I am of them, but there is always that 1 in a hundred bear that won't be scared of you, and he might not take a number and show up after the 99th bear.