Spring Black Bear

[bacon_overlord]

Went out yesterday to same spot in 3-27 I checked a month ago. It was totally bear o'clock - clover and grass everywhere. Kev and I parked,walked 300 yards and saw a day old bear dump at the side of the road! Perfect. Lots of munched off clover, poops, and tracks criss crossing the road. Walked about 5km seeing sign the while. At a 90 corner there was a bold mule doe on the hillside watching us. We glassed her and blew the fawn call a bit then walked on commenting there couldn't be a bear nearby with the doe hanging there. We'll 50 yards past the corner Kev says bear, as I spot it too, hanging just off the road less than 50 yards away in a bunch of upturned stumps. His spot, his shot. Glasses to look for Cubs, looks good. Bear notices us as he's chambering a round, just kind of shakes his head and wanders into the woods over a rise before he can get a shot.
Nice way to spend the afternoon, and we'll be back to get him later!

[caddisguy]

Sounds like you will have a bear soon! Funny about the deer. We thought the same thing seeing a deer standing only a few yards away on the way in to our spot a couple weeks back. Thought no way there would be a bear, but sure enough there was a big black bear about 40 yards away. We ended up seeing 2 bears that day and 4 Blacktails that were comfortable adopting us. At one point they followed me a couple hundred yards. I stopped for a smoke and they stood there staring at me. Doe turned and flicked her tail at me like the usual "come on let's go, follow me".

Definitely can't rule out bears when you see a deer. I have actually been wondering if the deer feel safer hanging around humans when bears are near as this isn't the first time I have observed deer sticking close when a bear is near. I think there is something to it whether its strength in numbers, or the deer realize humans are spooky to bears or maybe, just maybe they realize we are after the bears.

[plumberjustin]

Sounds like you will have a bear soon! Funny about the deer. We thought the same thing seeing a deer standing only a few yards away on the way in to our spot a couple weeks back. Thought no way there would be a bear, but sure enough there was a big black bear about 40 yards away. We ended up seeing 2 bears that day and 4 Blacktails that were comfortable adopting us. At one point they followed me a couple hundred yards. I stopped for a smoke and they stood there staring at me. Doe turned and flicked her tail at me like the usual "come on let's go, follow me".

Definitely can't rule out bears when you see a deer. I have actually been wondering if the deer feel safer hanging around humans when bears are near as this isn't the first time I have observed deer sticking close when a bear is near. I think there is something to it whether its strength in numbers, or the deer realize humans are spooky to bears or maybe, just maybe they realize we are after the bears.

I had a similar experience last weekend in a productive region 2 spot. Saw over 30 deer in one day, and many were not frightened by us in the least. Kept thinking that there's no way there will be bears around with all these deer. Boy was I wrong, onto pretty fresh bear scat and grass munching all over the same area. I too thought the deer felt safer around us humans. Perhaps also why the bear never showed himself??

[jtred]

Pack is beside the door all set to head up into the high country for our fifth annual spring black hunt. We're heading out tomorrow(Friday) around nine and it's about 1.5hrs driving time to where we park. My hunting partner and I pack into a closed area with lots of south facing cutblocks and meadows, it's about 4.5km from where we park to our camp overlooking Kootenay Lake. It's an easy stroll in for this camp we just stay on the old logging road and only have about 100m or so to bushwhack to the camp from the road. I take my modified game cart with a few little extras that I don't take on our backpacking trips.It's pretty quiet up there, we're the only ones who seem to pack in for bears, the only other people we've seen were a group of mountain bikers last spring. We're staying up there until Sunday so we'll have a good couple of days at it. This year I fully intend on shooting a bear if we see a legal(decent sized) bear this time, last year I passed on a couple in the fall. I am so ready to sit by the campfire with a tin mug of single malt and just relax.

[monasheemountainman]

Pack is beside the door all set to head up into the high country for our fifth annual spring black hunt. We're heading out tomorrow(Friday) around nine and it's about 1.5hrs driving time to where we park. My hunting partner and I pack into a closed area with lots of south facing cutblocks and meadows, it's about 4.5km from where we park to our camp overlooking Kootenay Lake. It's an easy stroll in for this camp we just stay on the old logging road and only have about 100m or so to bushwhack to the camp from the road. I take my modified game cart with a few little extras that I don't take on our backpacking trips.It's pretty quiet up there, we're the only ones who seem to pack in for bears, the only other people we've seen were a group of mountain bikers last spring. We're staying up there until Sunday so we'll have a good couple of days at it. This year I fully intend on shooting a bear if we see a legal(decent sized) bear this time, last year I passed on a couple in the fall. I am so ready to sit by the campfire with a tin mug of single malt and just relax.

Sounds like a fun trip! Good luck!

[wideopenthrottle]

Pack is beside the door all set to head up into the high country for our fifth annual spring black hunt. We're heading out tomorrow(Friday) around nine and it's about 1.5hrs driving time to where we park. My hunting partner and I pack into a closed area with lots of south facing cutblocks and meadows, it's about 4.5km from where we park to our camp overlooking Kootenay Lake. It's an easy stroll in for this camp we just stay on the old logging road and only have about 100m or so to bushwhack to the camp from the road. I take my modified game cart with a few little extras that I don't take on our backpacking trips.It's pretty quiet up there, we're the only ones who seem to pack in for bears, the only other people we've seen were a group of mountain bikers last spring. We're staying up there until Sunday so we'll have a good couple of days at it. This year I fully intend on shooting a bear if we see a legal(decent sized) bear this time, last year I passed on a couple in the fall. I am so ready to sit by the campfire with a tin mug of single malt and just relax.

ahhhhhh you made my day...have a grea,,,nevermind, i know you will have a great time!!! cheers

[caddisguy]

Heading out soon! just bought another bear tag incase temptation gets the better of me or if I run into a problem bear before my wife and brother show up lol. Most likely I'll just hang onto it until fall. I want caddisgirl or my brother to shoot one this time.

[snipersights]

Heading out tomorrow for the weekend leaving at 12 truck packed quad packed how I'll get work done I don't know

[scotty30-06]

I imagine the deer have some sort of idea...same concept of them coming into towns to avoid predation...they seem to know that if they are around us the preds keep their distance.

[ianm]

I'm dying to get out this spring! If anyone wants an extra set of hands and a strong back let me know