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Thread: Spot and stalk spring black bear

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    agree on that early spring weather. i havent seen it help for the bears to be early, still to cold at night and no growth yet

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    6-09
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Wild one View Post
    Alpine is too high for a spring hunt but fall is a good option. Easy to avoid fishy bear in the spring just stay off the ocean. In the spring they focuse mostly on veg.

    Spring melt will play a big roll on how good the hunting is. Early springs are the worst in my opinion. My findings are some bear's wake up early but for the most part most still wake up around the same time every year. If it greens up early I find the bear's are spread out do to the amount of food avialible. Late melt the food is limited and they have less options. Makes it easier to target them since the bear's will consintrate on the limited feed.

    Newer growth provides the best quality food. For this reason I focuse on the elevation where the leaves on the trees are still buds or just opened combined with new grass. Combined this with locations near water(creek, river, swamp, lake don't matter) and good cover and odds are you will find bear's. In dry areas a creek drainage can make a huge difference.

    Don't get caught up on clear cuts but don't ignore them. Sometimes a grassy stretch of road will hold more bear's than all the clear cuts in the area. Small feeding areas where bear's can quickly reach cover can be really good.

    Late May into June is the right and just like other animals this gets the males covering ground.

    Road hunt for a day or 2 to figure out where they are. If you spook a bear on feed really high odds it will be back. Maybe be it only 10 min but most likely the next day at the worst. If it was me I would combined my scouting and hunting days into 1 trip. Things change week to week with spring bear

    Watch for grizz and be 100% it's a black seen grizz in strange places

    Will PM you a few recommend MU's and an idea on what you can expect for quality and odds of a colour phase
    lots of good advice and a generous offer to help.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    In the bush near a lake
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    7,198

    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Bonz View Post
    is it for 3 hours of a trip? oh. lol
    Yep that is alright not even close to my best afternoons in good locations. If a guy wants to kill an afternoon yes stay in region2 do it enough and you can take a bear. 15 years ago I would never suggest traveling out of 2. Now if a guys can take a few days for a trip head else where. We figured out it was cheaper to go on a trip away from region 2 and acheaved way high success rate than doing day trips in 2.

    Shot and helped other shoot lots of blacks even in 2. Not saying you can't take a bear in 2 but offering advice on options with way higher success rate.

    Way better options as far as numbers, average size, and bear's with a lower IQ lol

  4. #34
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    Dec 2007
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    If you are hunting areas with open timber and a bear jumps off the road it is worth trying to follow often they don't go far. This is a big plus about hunting out of region 2

  5. #35
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Wild one View Post
    Yep that is alright not even close to my best afternoons in good locations. If a guy wants to kill an afternoon yes stay in region2 do it enough and you can take a bear. 15 years ago I would never suggest traveling out of 2. Now if a guys can take a few days for a trip head else where. We figured out it was cheaper to go on a trip away from region 2 and acheaved way high success rate than doing day trips in 2.

    Shot and helped other shoot lots of blacks even in 2. Not saying you can't take a bear in 2 but offering advice on options with way higher success rate.

    Way better options as far as numbers, average size, and bear's with a lower IQ lol
    for the location and how bussy it is in those areas i felt it was a decent day. especialy for first week of april, knew it was to early for my reg spot so was more helping another new guy and learn more than an actual hunt. my usual spot is out further. been very succsfull. last year only went 2 day trips. got buddy new guy his book bear. and year before i got my 2 and helped 5 others take a dirt nap in in my area.


    deffiantly agree the cost to head out vs pound local roads is better choice

  6. #36
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    Dec 2007
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    For that area I agree 5 bear's in 3 hrs is really good. I think how busy it has become with people in the bush around 2 is a big factor on how the bear hunting has changed. Believe they are still in good numbers just restricted to late afternoon movement, more likely to spook, and believe they moved away from the busyness as well.

    It did seem more were targeting bear's but the increase in overall traffic camping/4x4/ATV/other users of the bush seemed to just push them of the beaten path and change their timming

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    Reg 8 & now 7b
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    515

    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Wild one View Post
    If you are hunting areas with open timber and a bear jumps off the road it is worth trying to follow often they don't go far. This is a big plus about hunting out of region 2
    I enjoy that about bear hunting, got my largest bear after spotting him on the road around 400 yards away, I hit my barrel on my rhino roll cage by accident, spooked him off while eating lunch mid day Aug 15, so from experience I knew what to do!! took my boots off for a stalk on the gravel in my socks, hiked about 100 yards, set up and waited 15min to get a better judgment, as like usual there he was poking his head out, he started feeding on the clover and making his way up the road, this being opening day for moose I really didn't want to shoot a smaller bear and scare of any moose in the area that I scouted knowing theres moose right in around there, he made his way towards me, wind was perfect for me, he was about 80 yards from me without noticing, he wasn't huge but had a big head, so I was going to pass on him until I yelled a few times at him because he was coming in at a fair pace and I wasn't going to take him, then when I yelled it turned into a charge and after quick decision to take him, I ranged him at 40 yards after he was down, after all ended up being my largest bear and goes to show how hard they are to judge in the field! Best of luck to all going after Spring bear this year!!

  8. #38
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    Oct 2016
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    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    and i will say, other times ive gone and not seen anything..so it isnt always that way. and i been in there for years., kinda know where to go and not waste time looking elsewhere to. that helps big time

    my honey hole out of town is usualy hated by most when they go first time with me..different terrain. no open cuts and steep everywhere. all thick bush, but of all my trips in there over past few years. only 2 times with no bear out of there, i always get told the place sux...as i cone home with my bear or a buddies bear...lol suck is good then, for me..go somewhere else then, im ok with that.....i like it..lol

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Metchosin area
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    602

    Re: Spot and stalk spring black bear

    My spots about 115 km from my house and I have a flat spot on the gravel road where I set up my tent at the end of a logging road culdesac. The actual tent spot is at the bottom of a big clear cut. I can quad in there about 30km in one direction and all over in other directions. It's kinda a spiderweb of roads. Seen two nice bears up there last year saw both of them 4 times each and both of them in the same spots different times of day. Didn't feel comfortable with the shot I had on one (460) yards on the opposite side of a valley and the other always spooked. Hoping to put both in the freezer this year.

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