Targeting a Specific Bear

[Etter]

Anybody done this? 

My biggest passion in life is bowhunting bears in the NE GA mtns.  I spend most all summer scouting new ridges and saddles and glassing oaks to put the ever changing acorn puzzle together.  In the last couple years I have found a bear that I want to chase.  He’s odd in a way that he seems to stay in a particular small area.  Even last year, he chose to stay in this place even though the acorns there were nearly all chestnuts. (Less Desireable)

Anyway, it’s not a typical place I bear hunt. I normally focus on narrow ridges and saddles but this area is kind of a big bowl below a main ridge.  It’s about 40 acres of tornado damage. Picture a head high, horrendously thick clearcut with random standing trees in it.  Fortunately, there are two creek drains running through it that the tornado passed over. There is no big concentration of white oaks anywhere but there are small clumps of 2-3 trees here and there. Theyre pretty loaded too.  Im not sure how to chase this guy until the day before the opener because they can climb and ruin a tree in a couple days easy. Im thinking afternoons are going to be my only option because in such a small area, a light could ruin it and most bears I see are up and moving by grey light. 

I dont have a good picture of him yet but he is a monster. He finds my cams no matter where I move them and he licks them immediately and never goes near them again. Judging by tracks and scat, hes easily 350-400 lbs.


Anyway, any advice is appreciated.  This critter is ruining my sleep

[Wudstix]

Sounds like a smart boy.  Do you have enough info on which trails preferred to make a good guess for a blind?  Any particular trees favored to up your odds?
 

[Huntschool]

Anybody done this? 

My biggest passion in life is bowhunting bears in the NE GA mtns.  I spend most all summer scouting new ridges and saddles and glassing oaks to put the ever changing acorn puzzle together.  In the last couple years I have found a bear that I want to chase.  He’s odd in a way that he seems to stay in a particular small area.  Even last year, he chose to stay in this place even though the acorns there were nearly all chestnuts. (Less Desirable)

Anyway, it’s not a typical place I bear hunt. It’s about 40 acres of tornado damage. Picture a head high, horrendously thick clearcut with random standing trees in it.  There is no big concentration of white oaks anywhere but there are small clumps of 2-3 trees here and there. They're pretty loaded too.  I'm not sure how to chase this guy until the day before the opener because they can climb and ruin a tree in a couple days easy. I'm thinking afternoons are going to be my only option because in such a small area, a light could ruin it and most bears I see are up and moving by grey light. 

I dont have a good picture of him yet but he is a monster. He finds my cams no matter where I move them and he licks them immediately and never goes near them again. Judging by tracks and scat, he's easily 350-400 lbs.

I adjusted the quote.

This may sound strange but....  How about going in mid day the day before and hanging a stand in one of the "clumps" of white oaks.  Then get up in it and tie yourself in and spend the night.  Sure you might pick the "wrong clump" but then again you may not.  It might also give you an opportunity to get at him as he moves through or at least see how he is traveling and then make an adjustment.  40 acers is a lot of ground to try and cover.  You could play hide and seek all season and just miss him by 50 yards or 10 minutes.  Your problem, as you know, is compounded by the scattered clumps of oaks. 

I and some friends have taken bucks this way that went nocturnal by going into bedding areas after the big guy moves out for the night and been there the next morning when he returns.  Cant do it anymore cause I am too old..... but back in the day it worked.

Just a thought.  Keep us informed.

[Etter]

People may disagree with me on this but Ive been at this a long time and have run cams in the wilderness for years. Ive been to canada hunting them almost 20 times and I dont believe black bears do much moving at night.  They do around humans but in the unpressured areas they start moving at the very earliest grey light and go til a little past dusk. Ive walked hundreds of miles in the black dark in these mtns and I have only once bumped a bear, whereas I bump deer daily in the dark in other areas.

[tippit]

Can you bait in Georgia?  I hunted this guy for a week and finally got him to come to a few marshmallows in front of my stand...tippit

[Etter]

Nope. We hunt them on totally natural patterns. It’s one of the most physically demanding hunts you can do. Out of curiosity Ive been tracking my scouting miles this summer. Itll likely be over 300 by September

[PV]

If he's living in the thicket you describe .He likely hears you before you set up.


" He finds my cams no matter where I move them and he licks them immediately and never goes near them again. "

 You could try hanging a stand now and on the opener set a cam.

[PrestonTaylor]

That sounds fun Etter. 2 years ago I hunted the same big boar half a dozen times. There was actually 2 of them in this drainage, and I would have been happy shooting any bear, but I was hoping for either of the big ones. It ended up that I was stalking the big black furred one most often. I never did kill him.

I agree with your observations. From what I've noticed both in person and on game cameras (at work and on my own time) and what I've found in the literature, black bears are primarily diurnal. Unless there is some pressure on them, which can come in the form of hunters, tourists, bigger black bears, or grizzly bears. The only other times I have seen them become nocturnal is during the peak of the rut and during the fall hyperphagia. But during those times they are active 24/7.

Have fun chasing that boar. I've been on a few backpack scouting trips this summer and located some new oak stands that I'm excited to hunt this year.

[Dave Lay]

We are the same here in Ar. No bait on public lands which is fine by me as it’s not really how I want to hunt bears. I’ve only targeted and killed one bear and it was over acorns , your place sounds like prime bear cover. But the bowl sounds like a nightmare as far as wind currents go, And the ridge above it only adds to that, that may be why he’s hanging there. Do the creeks dry up or do you have water in them ? Early season here water is a component I look for as it’s still in the 80’s and low 90’s here when our season opens.
     Sounds like you’ve  done this enough to know how to tell where he’s feeding and such. Sure would be good if you could catch him out of that bowl.

[Etter]

The creeks having water is very variable. Last year we were in a horrible drought going into fall and water played a huge role but the main drainage going through this area had water the whole time so I doubt it ever does. And we have had tons of water this summer. Yeah, it’s a strange spot to hunt him but he is always there. We have tons of red oaks in that area too so he wont leave there outside of pressure, which I suspect will only be me. It’s gonna be fun to try anyway. And it’s only a mile of walking and about 600 feet of up

[Terry Green]

Etter... I never go in with a light in the morning but wait to enter when I can see to shoot. I've seen lots of bears in that wilderness between 9:30 and 11:00. So, don't give up on mornings. Last year I stalked one from 8:30 till 9:10 opening day.  No rain made for a corn flake floor (you were probably there and remember)... I could only move when he did.... he finally made me once I got within 10 yards of being in range with an open shot.

Best of luck sir... its almost upon us.... 

[Etter]

Yeah Terry, my issue in the mornings is that so many bears I see are already at (or in) those feed trees by the tiniest crack of daylight. I do the same though. Unless I can be in the tree an hour or so before light, I wait until shooting light and slip in. I didnt see a bear til 11 am last year on opening day and she came in behind me and downwind, but on sunday I was stalking a 350 lb tank of a boar right after daylight. Unfortunately, I had the same issue as you. God it was dry!

[Trenton G.]

Have you been able to determine if he has an escape route? If he has a somewhat predictable exit, maybe you could have somebody go walk the upwind side of the bowl and bump him towards you. I don't know if he would move or if he would just lay tight. I suspect that he wouldn't move, but on the off chance he does, I doubt he would be moving out fast. Probably trying to sneak out quietly. Might give you a chance to get a shot.

[Etter]

He would be gone forever Im sure

[Terry Green]

His escape route would likely be to run further down wind when he gets a snort full.  And, trying to bump a bear would be highly unsuccessful imo.

[Etter]

You hunt Cohutta mostly, is that right Terry?

Im over in the White, Towns, Union, Rabun area. I used to hunt Chattahoochee WMA a lot and have killed a couple there but Ive abandoned it now due to their bow season gun hunt and now the following dog hunt. I pretty much stick to straight NF now and am liking it MUCH better. Basically no hunters and no more breaks in the season.

[Terry Green]

Cohutta and Blue Ridge ... i don't see hunters on either.

[Etter]

Been scouting much?  I have a pretty good picture of the acorn situation at this time but it seems to vary east to west and north to south.

[Terry Green]

No sir... no scouting... too dang busy.

[Wudstix]

Good hunting to both of you.  No bear hunting in Texas.