Bear Bust

[plumberjustin]

Well, with the season steadily drawing to a close, I can feel that the spring bear I hoped to put in the freezer was not meant to be. Put a couple thousand kilometers on the truck, and damn near wore the soles off my boots in search of a nice bruin. Pounded every area up and down both sides of the Coquihalla and Fraser Canyon. Found some promising sign and some fresh scat, but was only able to spot a few sows with cubs.

This is is my first season trying for a black bear, not sure if its just an "off" year due to the lack of snow, or if my approach is all wrong. I'd did the standard, glass south facing slopes, drive slowly on fsr's, hike old cuts and deactivated roads, hike valley bottoms and game trails along creeks. All my efforts turned up little more than great scouting for fall season, which is still a huge win in my book. If anyone can lend some advice on what I may be able to do differently next spring, I'm all ears. I'm all for investigating and learning areas well, but I can't help but think I'm searching in the wrong places. Do people happen upon bears by chance, or is there more of a science as to where to focus ones time??

[monasheemountainman]

It's called hunting bud. Even if you do everything 100% right there is still a huge chance you won't even see anything. Sounds to me like you were trying the right things. I can only suggest that the best times are usually later in the eve for bears. But the only for sure in hunting is that if your not out there you won't see anything. Good luck there's still time

[Paulyman]

Sounds to me like you did everything right.

[caddisguy]

Only other thing I could suggest which seems to work consistently for me in my areas (thick like most or Region 2) to simply sit and wait by the fresh scat. We don't have many places in Region 2 where you can do a whole lot of glassing--especially where bears hang out in the spring-- so you're usually moving around making noise in places with limited view. It makes it easier to know when you're around and when to hide.

I find I can often hike around all day long making my rounds and see nothing for a couple of days... then I park my butt on a log or a stump wherever I have seen the most plentiful and most fresh scat and sit for a couple hours. Sitting can be kind of boring, but I can handle it for a couple hours in the morning and a couple hours in the evening. My theory is that the bear knows I'm walking around in his house and I'm stinking it up with my scent... but once I stop moving around and sit still, though my scent is still there, he isn't sure whether or not I'm there. I'm sitting by his refrigerator and he's getting hungry. After not hearing me for an hour or so and wanting to come munch on his favorite grass, he comes out.

If you decide to go out again before the season is over, you could go stomp around a bit, find a food source with a few fresh piles of scat in close proximity, then sit and wait. Kinda boring, but sitting in an area with limited vision, then hearing that snap-snap-snap of the bear coming and having him walk right up close to you gets really exciting really fast... makes up for the sitting part.

I'd love to try spot and stalk... it just hasn't worked in my spots but I understand why... so instead of spot and stalk, I just in a clearing among some thick stuff where I know he will show up and just wait.

Items needed/suggested: camo, mosquito net, change of underwear

[plumberjustin]

Great suggestions caddisguy, thanks for the advice. I've been consistently out many, many times since opening day, covering regions 2, 3, and 8 mid week as well as weekends. The only thing I haven't tried is sitting in a spot that showed some promise. Always got too caught up with the idea of covering ground. I'll try your approach, and maybe have a success story to report before the end of June.

[Dannybuoy]

I think covering ground is a good idea to find the sign /scat . Bears don't see too good but have good hearing and wont stay in the open if they hear you coming in a vehicle or otherwise . When you find the cutblock , powerline or trail where they have been feeding , walk the area early the next morning or before dark . They love those clover patches on logging roads .

[Fella]

In the spot we usually go to for spring bears, we really only go to 2 spots within that area and either sit and wait or hike close by. In 3 years we've shot 3 bears there, 2 within a kilometre of each other. If you see sign don't move much further than that because eventually you'll see one.

[Good2bCanadian]

Took me 4 years.
Then early April, double header on first day out with a buddy.
Then next trip out, bam, another down for another friend.

3 bears in less than a month in the back of my truck.

[Bear]

this is exactly my spring story as well. One more good weekend left I'm hoping to put in a full 3 days. I have tried everything as well. Except a call. There's still time and with the weather looking good might as well get out there. Good luck as I know I'll need some.

[caddisguy]

Great suggestions caddisguy, thanks for the advice. I've been consistently out many, many times since opening day, covering regions 2, 3, and 8 mid week as well as weekends. The only thing I haven't tried is sitting in a spot that showed some promise. Always got too caught up with the idea of covering ground. I'll try your approach, and maybe have a success story to report before the end of June.

Being out a lot is key... though most of April and even until the first week of May, bear activity is fairly low. As some say early bears don't shoot themselves so it doesn't hurt to be out if there's nothing else on the schedule that's gotta be done. I'm out there playing with trailcams anyway so I half ass it. Mid May to mid june, morning and evening are primetime though.

We got ours a few weeks back sitting still just after the sun tucked behind the mountain. Just look for a feeding spot with a few piles of scat with at least one or two fresh / semi-fresh ones and sit tight. Try to get enough space so you can see if there's cubs around... bear spray just incase it is a sow with cubs and things get akward. Evening when the sun dips behind the mountain is great. You'll have your work cut out for you too so flashlights / lanterns and someone to watch your back is nice!! :)

[two-feet]

If you are willing to put on 1000s of kms then head North, man! Areas of regions 5 and 6 are just lousy with bears, a guy should see 5-10 a day if you are in the right general area. Quesnel is a good place to start, or if you want to try the Smithers/Hazelton area I will give you some tips. PG is great. Terrace has an overabundance, Mezziadin......

If you are willing to travel PM me and I can help you out...

[charlie_horse]

I'm the same boat. Seen two bears all year. Granted one was a big boar that we nearly killed ourselves trying to get. I shot mine on the last weekend last year and I'm hoping for a repeat this year!

[Bubba123]

Seen lots of sign and bears in 3-15 last weekend and came real close to getting a shot off on one. Saw 3 singles that were big enough, including a big cinnamon. Next weekend should be a good one. Most movement noted around 7 pm. Never got out early enough to see the the morning movements, but will check it out next week.

[303savage]

It makes it easier to know when you're around and when to hide.
And they will hide, there was one little guy that run up a hill about 50 yds from the wife and I and hid his head and shoulders behind a small tree and every few min. it would poke it's head around the tree to see if we were still there but we could see it's back end in full view.
I guess it figured the if it couldn't see us we couldn't see it.
We had another bear just lay down where it was and pick it's head up every few min. to see if we were still watching.
I wonder how many we walk by and not know they are there.

[caddisguy]

And they will hide, there was one little guy that run up a hill about 50 yds from the wife and I and hid his head and shoulders behind a small tree and every few min. it would poke it's head around the tree to see if we were still there but we could see it's back end in full view.
I guess it figured the if it couldn't see us we couldn't see it.
We had another bear just lay down where it was and pick it's head up every few min. to see if we were still watching.
I wonder how many we walk by and not know they are there.

I have some dashcam video where I'm driving up a deactivated road that leads into an old slash. There was a bear running across a hill that tried to hide behind a stump that was much smaller than him. I thought his poor attempt at hiding was hilarious, until I tried pointing him out to my girlfriend for 5 minutes and she could not see him.

Many (probably most?) bears will hide in the nearest cover--rather than flee too far--when there's a potential threat. Most of us have probably walked within several meters of bears hiding from us. Not sure if it was hiding from us or just happened to be resting there, but we accidentally cornered one concealed in some brush up against some huge boulders. Seemed like he was just going to hide there and figured we wouldn't get close but we got very close by coincidence and almost got run over

I suspect a bears method of evading people are taught from generation to generation and 95% of the time, humans are incredibly easy to evade. Ever find yourself walking just inside or just outside the timber within view of the road and you hear a vehicle coming and you don't want to be seen or bothered? How hard it is to make sure they don't see you? Not hard at all and we use the exact same tactic as bears... cover, be still, be quiet.

One time we were sitting in the bush a fair ways from any road, about 10-15 meters into the timber adjacent to an old burn that was growing back in. 4 hunting dogs came ripping along the treeline (scared the crap out of us at first) ... then we could hear people whistling. Then we saw them, 3 hunters. They worked the area and poked in out and out the timber a few times. 3 hunters and 4 dogs, completely oblivious to us only 10 meters of timber away at one point.

Bears know they can hide right under your nose... and they sure is heck know you're not walking through 20 yards of thick devils club lol ... if they heard an engine, a vehicle door, your footstep, smelled your scent, or they're just having a nap... they'll be hiding. That's why I like playing the waiting game when the terrain isn't right for glassing.