Spring bear 2019

[caddisguy]

Caddisguy

I completely understand the won’t shoot anything that looks like a sow. Those small first year cubs can be tough to see in the under growth

The fear of shooting a sow with cubs was a big factor why I paid very close attention to my mentors in my youth when it came to judging a boar from a sow. I had the advantage of experienced hunters with me bear hunting for 6 years before I hunted bears solo and I know many don’t get that advantage. I put a lot of effort passing this on to rookies I take out these days.

You are correct on mannerisms being helpful. I find a boar moves different in general down to how they walk but I find it hard to explain

Your mention of a sow (with cubs definitely)comes into the open with caution compared to a boar I agree with this majority of the time but I also find some huge old boars with do the same. Odds are you would realize it’s a big old boar once he stepped out anyway

Some of the big old boars get smart expecially if they have been pushed by hunters. Some get smart and cautious to the point during the rut they let the sow go into the open to start. Seen some sneaky tricks from old boars

Either way watching mannerisms is a good indicator

I saw you posted just before me as well with some solid tips (round, pigeon toed, neck length, etc). Thanks for that. I think most of the big bears I have observed first hand or on trailcam (a few of which are sows) seem to stagger around with the pigeon toes too. Do you figure it is more pronounced with boars than sows? Kind of like bow legged + pigeon toed + swagger as if advertising "I'm packing some massive dingle-berries"?

I never had a mentor for bear hunting (or most hunting for that matter). It's has all been reading and field experience for me, so I can second how handy experienced mentors could be when there are so many subtleties that are difficult to explain. Being able to tell a buck vs doe in the early spring just by looking at their face is another one that started to click a couple years ago. I can't even explain why other than "hey that looks like a dude". More blocky face, posture, confident/proud look? No idea. I can just tell. I could have read a dozen books, looked at hundreds of pictures/videos, but it wouldn't have been near as useful as just another hunter in the field saying "check out that buck", "hey look at that sow". I think it is because when you are self taught you are thinking "Hmm. What exactly am I looking at? What clues do I have to work with?". The excitement and wheels spinning in your head leave mostly just your subconscious to collect the puzzle pieces you will eventually start to put together on your own, whereas if someone tells you what you are looking at, you are going to absorb into knowledge more efficiently and start recalling and re-enforcing that knowledge a lot quicker.

I guess it's like anything. If you are learning a new job or new field, it's a heck of a lot better with someone to show you the ropes.

[Wild one]

The pigeon toed lumber I am talking about is a boar thing not a big bear thing. In my opinion they move different because of the muscle development in the front legs/shoulders on a boar vs a sow. Their body basically evolved to preform different tasks

Even in humans science has found men and women move differently do to the slight difference in our body structure. I assume it’s the same principle with bears when it comes to boar and sow

[Ohwildwon]

If you are not setting out bait to attract ungulates but trying to attract bears your treading a fine line. If this is the case I would not want to be trying to explain myself to a CO

If this is the case it’s a grey area I don’t even want to touch on

Meh.

Regulations don't specify how far you have to hunt, away from a baited cam, (which I would care to guess, most people who have cams that hunt do)?

Hunting ethics are #1, how far away does your conscience let you hunt?

300 yds away in a cut block work? I would say your more then safe, ethically.

That being said, hunting in a Bear rich environment like I do, having cams out where you hunt is a great tool!

To learn what is going on, being able to see, identify, bears in the area you are hunting regularly.

My experience, hunting B Bear in R 2, video footage, has shown me the Dominant Boar in the area I am hunting, every time, over the last 4 years.

It might, also, show you a Sow, with or with out Cubs!...

I digress..

#ethical

[Wild one]

Honestly don’t know where you legally stand on what you’re doing so not going to touch it.

If baiting was legal here I would not care or even mention it. It’s more a long the lines I would not want to be explaining it to a CO because it may not go well

Not worth the risk to me and I will leave it there

[Ohwildwon]

Honestly don’t know where you legally stand on what you’re doing so not going to touch it.

If baiting was legal here I would not care or even mention it. It’s more a long the lines I would not want to be explaining it to a CO because it may not go well

Not worth the risk to me and I will leave it there

I will say to that attitude is, paranoid beyond believe.

And I will leave it there.

[willyqbc]

If you are not setting out bait to attract ungulates but trying to attract bears your treading a fine line. If this is the case I would not want to be trying to explain myself to a CO

If this is the case it’s a grey area I don’t even want to touch on

Hate to break it to you OhWildone one....but from where i'm sitting, you're in violation of the regs one way or the other....no grey area

either you are baiting bears to hunt them = illegal
or
you are baiting bears not to hunt them = also illegal under the following regulation from the "it is unlawful" section

18. To intentionally feed or attempt to feed
dangerous wildlife (cougar, coyote, wolf
and bear), except when lawfully engaged in
hunting or trapping where baiting is authorized
(cougar, coyote and wolf only).

You can NEVER feed dangerous wildlife "just because". You can however bait cougar coyote and wolf while hunting them as there is no provision against hunting them over bait.

you may NEVER feed bears " just because", and you may not hunt bears by baiting.......you clearly stated the purpose of your bait was for bears.....so which is it? are you illegally hunting bears with bait?, or illegally feeding dangerous wildlife....has to be one or the other

I highly reccomend you cease this practice

[Ohwildwon]

Hate to break it to you OhWildone one....but from where i'm sitting, you're in violation of the regs one way or the other....no grey area

either you are baiting bears to hunt them = illegal
or
you are baiting bears not to hunt them = also illegal under the following regulation from the "it is unlawful" section

18. To intentionally feed or attempt to feed
dangerous wildlife (cougar, coyote, wolf
and bear), except when lawfully engaged in
hunting or trapping where baiting is authorized
(cougar, coyote and wolf only).

You can NEVER feed dangerous wildlife "just because". You can however bait cougar coyote and wolf while hunting them as there is no provision against hunting them over bait.



you may NEVER feed bears " just because", and you may not hunt bears by baiting.......you clearly stated the purpose of your bait was for bears.....so which is it? are you illegally hunting bears with bait?, or illegally feeding dangerous wildlife....has to be one or the other

I highly reccomend you cease this practice

So with your thinking,k no one can ever bait a trail cam, good luck with that!

[Ohwildwon]

Hate to break it to you OhWildone one....but from where i'm sitting, you're in violation of the regs one way or the other....no grey area

either you are baiting bears to hunt them = illegal
or
you are baiting bears not to hunt them = also illegal under the following regulation from the "it is unlawful" section

18. To intentionally feed or attempt to feed
dangerous wildlife (cougar, coyote, wolf
and bear), except when lawfully engaged in
hunting or trapping where baiting is authorized
(cougar, coyote and wolf only).

You can NEVER feed dangerous wildlife "just because". You can however bait cougar coyote and wolf while hunting them as there is no provision against hunting them over bait.



you may NEVER feed bears " just because", and you may not hunt bears by baiting.......you clearly stated the purpose of your bait was for bears.....so which is it? are you illegally hunting bears with bait?, or illegally feeding dangerous wildlife....has to be one or the other

I highly reccomend you cease this practice

So, with your thinking, no one, can ever bait a trail cam... Good luck with that!

[willyqbc]

Absolutely you can bait a trail cam...for ungulates. And if you happen to catch some bears on cam...great! But when your purposefully doing it for bears, as you stated you are, thats where it falls out of the grey area...it's all about intent.

[Wild one]

Absolutely you can bait a trail cam...for ungulates. And if you happen to catch some bears on cam...great! But when your purposefully doing it for bears, as you stated you are, thats where it falls out of the grey area...it's all about intent.

That is what I am seeing