Best Time of Day for Spring Bear?

[Wild one]

Last 2hrs of light is prime time

If hunting an area that is high people pressure and I am not talking just hunting I only hunt the last 5hrs of the day

In areas that are low traffic I go hunting once I finish breakfast and coffee as I see them most of the day. I do find black bears don’t move a lot first light so I am in no rush in the morning

Where you’re hunting dictates bear movement a lot in region 2 found many areas late afternoon was basically when you seen bears but Northern BC they are out all day

As for the heat thing mentioned I agree and disagree bears disappear during the heat of the day. If targeting large open areas in direct sun yes they bed down. But if you target shady smaller feeding areas near water they can be found

You really need to go out and figure out the bears in the area because lots of factors dictate movement

[ratherbefishin]

Bears are tough and they can run after a fatal shot,and they head for the thickest stuff they can find and generally downhill. The only shot I will take now is a broadside ,right on the point of the shoulder( not lungs) resulting in massive shock and with both shoulders out,they put their nose in the dirt ,maybe not dead but immobilized,preferably right on a logging road or on the bank above it.Sure saves a lot of tracking and dragging uphill.Dead bears are tough to drag, nothing to hang on to

[emerson]

Biggest black bear I shot was 04:45, just after first light. Really tapers off after 06:30 or so though. More activity 20:00 to dark though. They seem much less nervous and jumpy when it’s getting dark.

[~T-BONE~]

Right at sundown

[bigredchev]

Second week in May, I am on fishing the morning and hunting bears after lunch

[Ohwildwon]

Finally a good stretch of warm weather coming up, greening up and access is going to happen real fast now!

7-10 days from now will be game on big time!

Now is the time to make some serious plans for sure...

Good luck all, and have a great time to boot!

[caddisguy]

I like the last couple hours before dark. Anything after 4pm seems to be getting good. First light until 10am is decent too. I have never shot a bear outside of those hours, but I know guys who have dropped nice bears at 2pm. That's the crappy part about spring bear hunting. If you are determined, the shifts are long... 5am-9pm but mid May. I can justify an afternoon nap early season when it's slow when things pick up it's dawn until dusk.

[boxhitch]

the shifts are long... 5am-9pm by mid May

mid day sun can trigger a hatch in the shallows so i like the hunt-eat-fish/nap-hunt program

[dustycool]

Well I am going to contradict most guys, and this is based only on my own experiences.
I’ve seen way more bears, and especially more large bears, early. I’m not talking 6 or 7 am. I’m talking get up at 3am, and be hunting that first light at 4am, 5am etc depending what part of the season. Even more apparent with grizzlies, when we could hunt them.
Bears do not sleep in in my experience. It’s just that most people’s idea of early is not early enough.

I agree. I shot my first black bear at 5am. Especially as the days get hotter I have seen more bears early morning than later. Really handy to have the whole day to work with it too. But I see them all times of the day.

[srupp]

I agree. I shot my first black bear at 5am. Especially as the days get hotter I have seen more bears early morning than later. Really handy to have the whole day to work with it too. But I see them all times of the day.

Hmm yes bears can be shot at all hours....but best to concentrate on prime time.however if you have taken time off work..travelled for hours for a few days..definatley use your days up completely..however remember that special last 2 hours.
As for sleeping yes both G bears and black bears do sleep..quite soundly too..in thickets of alder..along streams..amongs the trees..ive even watched them sleeping on tall mounds of earth and even at the top of slash piles. .go figure..

Grizzly bears..both interior and coastal will at times dig out a depression in the soil along creeks, streams where the dirt is cool..then sink their belly into that freshly dug depression..it acts like a heat sink..drawing their body heat out..keeping them cool..presenting a real danger..they are now laying flat out in a hole..their body is not that high above the ground..humans can actually get pretty damn close without realizing. .seein a 400..500 pound bear..creek noises..wind in the trees may allow you to get way inside a grizzlies comfort zone..a few maulings and fatalities have occurred just because of this exact scenario..yes bears do sleep..
Srr
Cheers
Srupp