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Thread: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    In years past with heavy snows I have noticed that the bears will be forced to follow the snow pack as it recedes up in elevation. The restricted food source will have bears stacked up making for great days if you can hit the right elevation.

    This late spring will make for hungry bears!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Williams Lake, BC Canada
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    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    Hmmm bears now be I g restricted to black bears.
    Yes south facing slides not occupied by mythical grizzly bears..however lower elevation cut blocks offer some great hunting.
    The cut off stumps hold heat..melt better longer grows green faster..as well as wide open cuts allow faster melt..first green.
    Blacks don't hibernate high..lower benches..
    I agree..eliminating lots of deep snow up higher..indeed will concentrate the bears..
    Steven

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Langley
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    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    Still a couple feet of snow in my spot... dang near the valley bottom. Either they sleep in or they hit the skunk cabbage hard. There's no other food. I am going to wait a few weeks.

  5. #4
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    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    Hmmm up here going to be first week of may ? Optimal...?
    Srupp

  6. #5
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    Dec 2007
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    In the bush near a lake
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    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    First week of May is when I start early or late spring find most don’t start moving till then

    Late spring is best because less food so bears are not so spread out

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Kamloops, BC
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    1,797

    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    We had lots of snow last winter and it was the worst spring bear hunting I've seen in a long time. Access was difficult due to snow and snow drifts (got stuck in one in June) so the bears could get up to the small green patches up higher before we could and then it heated up so quick that everything melted and greened up at the exact same time so they all spread out like a shotgun pattern at 100 yards. Got a feeling this year will be similar but I've found a couple lower areas I might try that may have green spots and easier access earlier.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Lumby BC
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    664

    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    I agree with Srupp. When it comes to spring black bears, think low elevation. Normally the first week of May is a good choice, at least in the interior. In addition to south facing slopes, scout the low elevation logging roads, especially those less traveled on and close to creeks/rivers, as they tend to green up first. Remember the bear's mind is on finding food. Follow their food source available at that time of year and you will find bears. Hint, they love to eat flower heads such as dandelions. And early spring when the sap starts to flow, they will rip the bark of pines to get at the sap.

    In addition to some good eating meat, my thoughts are that should you choose to keep the hide also, this may be an exceptionally good year in that if the forecast holds true, that is they expect a later and colder than normal spring, the hide will be really nice. In a warm spring, bears will start rubbing their hides early making for a poor hide. Just my thoughts. Good luck!
    Always EXPECT the UNEXPECTED!

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    1,041

    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    I'm just ready to get back on the bush so I'll be out in first 10days of April just scouting etc if I see one maybe I shoot but probably not. Look for some sheds and just get a general lay of the land since fall, will probably be walking most roads still lots of snow

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Kamloops
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    1,118

    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    I asked a CO why I was not seeing many bears (last summer at a fish check). He said that bears in the area (Kamloops) were not use to the long winter we had and that he thinks a bunch died in den. He gave some example of poor condition bears that he ( and other hunters) had run into.

    Now I would think this winter was just as long and tough on bears as the 2016/17 winter?

    Any guesses on how they did over this winter this year?

  11. #10
    Join Date
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    Langley
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    Re: Heavy snow year = good bear hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by skibum View Post
    I asked a CO why I was not seeing many bears (last summer at a fish check). He said that bears in the area (Kamloops) were not use to the long winter we had and that he thinks a bunch died in den. He gave some example of poor condition bears that he ( and other hunters) had run into.

    Now I would think this winter was just as long and tough on bears as the 2016/17 winter?

    Any guesses on how they did over this winter this year?

    I think this winter was longer than the last and both of these long winters were proceeded by very long/dry summers. I imagine that some of the berry spots bears are used to were spotty at best... it is also possible that some salmon could not make it all the way down the tributaries to spawning destinations were some bears are used to picking them off.

    To me it seems like it would be tough conditions two years in a row. Perhaps this is what made one of my local bears become a nuisance around my camp.

    As far as numbers are concerned, I think I saw a few more bears in 2017 than I did in 2016 in my area (Fraser Valley were temps are a little more moderate) It's amazing how resilient they are... which is probably why their numbers are so high and they cover most of the province.

    My guess is there will still be a crap-ton of bears this year for me. The one I got last year in May had a lot of fat on him. Other areas in BC could vary.

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