Late October Bear Hunts. What can I expect?

[russm86]

Find food. In my experience bear hunting dries up in October. Bears are in hypophagia in the fall aka packing in as many calories as possible. You could try lower down in the valleys, try salmon bearing streams

x2... Definitely tends to slow way down after mid to late September...

[Quiet Hunter]

Great info for the newbs like me ...Thanks a lot guys.

[Wild one]

My best advice is target bears in May, June,August(in the MUs that open early), and September theses are the most productive months of spring and fall season in my opinion. Timing makes a huge difference on success rate of each species and there are times you are better off to stop hunting 1 species and target another

[srupp]

Hmm I find bears active in spring..then sort of head high for the rut.then just try and stay cool for the summer. .however come fall they are found alng roads, skdder trails, cutblocks moving from one food source to the next..some times miles apart.sometimes just different elevation..but they WILL be in secluded locations not wanting to be interrupted from chow down time..
Each location, elevation will hold different amounts of bears for different food sources..
Slow and quiet..it may result in an opportunity for rabitt, or deer or bear..
Good luck
Srupp

[Quiet Hunter]

Well if you really want to see one come by my place lol. it was 430am this morning heard the garbage can go down look out the window and this boy must have been 600lbs fat like anything. was there till 600am then left up the block. every year this guy comes back fatter then the last. and im in port coquitlam far from the river. I think he probably just owns a house in the area lol. I cleaned up today and locked those bins down super tight. if he comes back tonight ill try and take a few pics. lol last year he came with a coyote following behind cleaning up what garbage the big guy didn't want. coyote was sniffing his but he would turn quick and swing at him lol funny to watch

[MadSwami33]

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is the final update for this thread from me.

I was out hunting September and saw quite a few bears with cubs, and on my way home one night I saw an xxl boar but it was way past shooting light. I did my best to track him down but after 3 weekends and a few day trips I stopped looking for the bear and went after deer.

November 17th I was out hunting deer and miraculously came across fresh bear tracks in the snow. The tracks went across a FSR so I hopped out the truck and followed them for a couple km until I had to turn around since I wasn't ready to spend the night in the cold. I ended up coming across 4 separate bear tracks.

Now I know where/when they are going up hill, I would really like to spot one in November.

[srupp]

Hmmm fall bears are desperate to gain enough weight to survive their winter hiatus...so important that the females have delayed embryo implantation..and IF they are not carrying sufficient weight..they lose the pregnancy.
If no salmon.then yes berries.other than meat berries carry the highest caloric content.especially after the first frost which concentrates the sugars..
This drive for food a counts for bears in the neighborhoods come fall.desperatly seeking food ...survival.
Bears in fall travel from one food source concentrations..then move on....all day long..with brief breaks and numerous dumps to process more calories..using the easiest travel routes..trails.roads.streams..conserving what they already have aquire. ..it's not what they get its what they keep..for most of BC highest caloric concentrations are berries come fall.bears are less likely to run..even less likely to run far again counting the cost of each action.berries are usually found in moist areas..
Farmers fall alpha ha fields..good bet..
Pretty funny to watch a bear wrap his face around a berry branch ? Stalk? And strip the entire length eating leaves and all.
Cheers
Srupp

[IronNoggin]

Largest two bears I ever killed were both taken on November 4th - a year apart.

Nog