Spot and stalk spring black bear

[Grasp]

Hey guys,


Resident of the lower mainland (Langley) and looking at planning a spring black bear hunt. I'd like to get into some spot and stalk territory. I've heard southern exposure slides are a good place to start. Wiling to do a 3-4 hour drive for some day hunts and don't mind killer hikes. I was thinking maybe up Boston Bar (Anderson?) way or even Merritt. I spend most of my year hunting blacktail in the chilliwack valley so may even do some combo day trips to scout blacktail and look for black bear. This will be my first year hunting black bear and would greatly appreciate any tips or lessons learned anyone would care to pass on.

Thx

[604redneck]

Early spring I'd stick close to the valley bottoms near you. Late spring I would consider high country near Boston bar....like as high as there is new green growth. Mid may it's good pretty much anywhere.

[two-feet]

If you are planning a trip, try not to go too early in the season. Easy to get antsy, I know. But wait till May and your chances go way up. Add another hour or two to your travel time and get into the chilcotin. Nice hunting in there.

[Bonz]

most the bear ive seen early season are local..harrison or chilliwack type places. usualy first to green up with lower elevation.
south facing. drainages. road edges since grass is usualy green first here. skunk cabbage is usualy some of the first foods. reading ive done says that triggers the guys to change to eat other foods. and help shit the butt plug out, apperently till then, they cant eat other foods?. im no scientist, just what my reading says

[Bonz]

bears are everywhere, i dont think theirs a road around i havent gone up and find bears, also early season alot have the cubs still, the ones that will be pushed off will happen later, closer to rutt time. and will find more of the boars then to with rutt beginning

[Stillhunt]

Sleep in. Bears are lazy, feed into the night and sleep like teenagers. The biggest thing-stay down wind at all costs. They have best nose going and ANY sniff of you will send them running...

[Grasp]

Great feedback. I did some work for hydro near anahim lake a few years back. It was gorgeous back there. ANy tips on where to start looking or just head in and start hiking?


If you are planning a trip, try not to go too early in the season. Easy to get antsy, I know. But wait till May and your chances go way up. Add another hour or two to your travel time and get into the chilcotin. Nice hunting in there.

[elch jager]

... I did some work for hydro near anahim lake..... ANy tips on where to start looking .... Yeah, don't go there for starters....

As long as you are up toward Boston Bar... swing up the Nahatlatch

[two-feet]

Really, the bears are everywhere. The chilcotin can be great for glassing with the long, open views. Any back road in the province has a decent chance of having bears

[plumberjustin]

If heading towards Nahatlatch, stick to the powerlines. Some record bears have come out of that area.


Yeah, don't go there for starters....

As long as you are up toward Boston Bar... swing up the Nahatlatch

[HarryToolips]

Early spring I'd stick close to the valley bottoms near you. Late spring I would consider high country near Boston bar....like as high as there is new green growth. Mid may it's good pretty much anywhere.
Yup........and they are the easiest critters I find to spot and stalk, while they're munching if you take your time you can get real close..watch for cubs..

[Bonz]

if you go in nahatlach., watch all the private property. been a bit of crime now to and cameras everywhere. i have buddies live in there, last couple has has turned into a zoo to

[Grasp]

I work for a forestry engineering company and we do a lot of layout up Nahatlatch so I am pretty familiar with the area. Agree the rec traffic has gotten pretty strong up there, especially in the fall with the mushroom pickers. I think the saving grave is that I want to get up high. Just hoping I'm willing to hike more than the average person. I will definitely do a search for private property first, thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for all the great tips so far guys!

[Bonz]

its well marked now with signs. and the signs about the cams. was a few thefts happening. most the traffik i see now is mainly general outdoorsy people

go out past main powerline run..bit of a trip. when you hit that water pipe back over to hyway side. rd splits there. go left and keep going way in the back.
bear, goat, grizzly, wolf all back there, tons of country to check out and less people go way back there to the lakes
at the junction at the after pipe. if you go right. take along river side and up to the ferry back over to hyway/. or right up to lillooet, might get chased out of that sie by native though...lol, thats where the last big fie was in there

[Bonz]

another decent area is past boston bar a bit. canion alpine. most them roads up to right hold bears/deer
can get right over to the coq through there to

[boblly1]

Come over to the island we are over run with Blackies. I live 3 blocks away from 7-11 in Port Alberni if it was legal. I could take limit of bears from my front porch. If you can find an area that isn`t gated you won`t have any trouble with a spot and stalk lots of good sized ones at that

[elch jager]

Yummy, cause Island bears are so tasty and they smell lovely too....

Like pork and sushi in the same mouthful...

[Bonz]

depends if they are near the oceans or not to for that fishy taste

[boxhitch]

Yummy, cause Island bears are so tasty and they smell lovely too....
.I heard its the herb and mushroom diet

[Bonz]

ive had fishy tasting process stuff before. no matter what i tried, it all tasted like smoked salmon. was nasty. but i think it was the butcher that did that. from peperoni to smokies. all tasted like smoking brine, and soft mushy texture..nasty stuff.

[RiverOtter]

While hiking can be productive for bears, you want to hike the best areas. When hitting a new area, use the heat of day to drive grassy roads looking for concentrations of poo piles and lush grass/clover. Once a good area is found, wait till late afternoon, get the wind in your face and slink in. The wind nearly always switches direction in the evening, so keep that in mind and hunt accordingly.

[Wild one]

You can find good black bear numbers most places in the spring. That said if you target the areas with less pressure the bears are less spooky and higher odds of a bigger bear. Personally I would drive right past Boston bar because that is the spot most hunters from region2 go yes there is bears but the hunting is not that great. I have hunted spring bear in all the common recommended locations and out side of Van island most I would not hunt again. I can tell you this the farther away you get from higher populations of people the better the bear hunting and the dumber the bears. Northern region 3 North is good

If I had to choose anytime in the spring it would be mid to late May. Timing combined with hunting the correct elevation for fresh new growth is the key. Target areas near water and places with green feed but grass only 4-8 inch tall is best. Find the poop and you find the bears they are habitual and return to same areas to feed. Deactivated/Washed out roads with grassy landings are great. If you you must walk in better.Yes evening is best but in good areas you can hunt all day. Both bears I helped with last spring were mid day.

what is your goal big, colour phase, or just meat?

[Wild one]

How many days are you going for?

[scotty30-06]

All good points....no bears in Chilliwack or Harrison...dont waste time...yup stay right out of chilliwack or Harrison if you want bear;p

[Wild one]

All good points....no bears in Chilliwack or Harrison...dont waste time...yup stay right out of chilliwack or Harrison if you want bear;p

There are Bears in those areas but lots of places that are 100% better. Used to hunt both areas killed Bears in both as well

all the trash dumped in chilliwack these days I would rather not eat those Bears anyway lol

[Bonz]

lol, i was told that to last spring from my group..i go out first day..5 bear

[Wild one]

lol, i was told that to last spring from my group..i go out first day..5 bear

5 Bears is a slow day:mrgreen:

[Grasp]

Thanks for all the feedback Wild One. I was thinking of 1-2 single day scouting trips and then maybe a three day hunting trip and I could do my travel on either end to get three full hunign days. I have a one year old at home so my wife supports me getting out but I get to have more trips per year if I keep them a little shorter. My primary goal is just a successful hunt with good meat, hence why i am trying to stick to the alpine. Trying to stay away from the fishy bear. That being said I would LOVE to make a nice rug so a big or colour phase bear would be phenomenal as well. I love a good drive so region 3 north sounds doable.

[Bonz]

5 Bears is a slow day:mrgreen:

is it for 3 hours of a trip? oh. lol

[Wild one]

Alpine is too high for a spring hunt but fall is a good option. Easy to avoid fishy bear in the spring just stay off the ocean. In the spring they focuse mostly on veg.

Spring melt will play a big roll on how good the hunting is. Early springs are the worst in my opinion. My findings are some bear's wake up early but for the most part most still wake up around the same time every year. If it greens up early I find the bear's are spread out do to the amount of food avialible. Late melt the food is limited and they have less options. Makes it easier to target them since the bear's will consintrate on the limited feed.

Newer growth provides the best quality food. For this reason I focuse on the elevation where the leaves on the trees are still buds or just opened combined with new grass. Combined this with locations near water(creek, river, swamp, lake don't matter) and good cover and odds are you will find bear's. In dry areas a creek drainage can make a huge difference.

Don't get caught up on clear cuts but don't ignore them. Sometimes a grassy stretch of road will hold more bear's than all the clear cuts in the area. Small feeding areas where bear's can quickly reach cover can be really good.

Late May into June is the rut and just like other animals this gets the males covering ground.

Road hunt for a day or 2 to figure out where they are. If you spook a bear on feed really high odds it will be back. Maybe be it only 10 min but most likely the next day at the worst. If it was me I would combined my scouting and hunting days into 1 trip. Things change week to week with spring bear

Watch for grizz and be 100% it's a black seen grizz in strange places

Will PM you a few recommend MU's and an idea on what you can expect for quality and odds of a colour phase

[Bonz]

agree on that early spring weather. i havent seen it help for the bears to be early, still to cold at night and no growth yet

[two-feet]

Alpine is too high for a spring hunt but fall is a good option. Easy to avoid fishy bear in the spring just stay off the ocean. In the spring they focuse mostly on veg.

Spring melt will play a big roll on how good the hunting is. Early springs are the worst in my opinion. My findings are some bear's wake up early but for the most part most still wake up around the same time every year. If it greens up early I find the bear's are spread out do to the amount of food avialible. Late melt the food is limited and they have less options. Makes it easier to target them since the bear's will consintrate on the limited feed.

Newer growth provides the best quality food. For this reason I focuse on the elevation where the leaves on the trees are still buds or just opened combined with new grass. Combined this with locations near water(creek, river, swamp, lake don't matter) and good cover and odds are you will find bear's. In dry areas a creek drainage can make a huge difference.

Don't get caught up on clear cuts but don't ignore them. Sometimes a grassy stretch of road will hold more bear's than all the clear cuts in the area. Small feeding areas where bear's can quickly reach cover can be really good.

Late May into June is the right and just like other animals this gets the males covering ground.

Road hunt for a day or 2 to figure out where they are. If you spook a bear on feed really high odds it will be back. Maybe be it only 10 min but most likely the next day at the worst. If it was me I would combined my scouting and hunting days into 1 trip. Things change week to week with spring bear

Watch for grizz and be 100% it's a black seen grizz in strange places

Will PM you a few recommend MU's and an idea on what you can expect for quality and odds of a colour phase

lots of good advice and a generous offer to help.

[Wild one]

is it for 3 hours of a trip? oh. lol

Yep that is alright not even close to my best afternoons in good locations. If a guy wants to kill an afternoon yes stay in region2 do it enough and you can take a bear. 15 years ago I would never suggest traveling out of 2. Now if a guys can take a few days for a trip head else where. We figured out it was cheaper to go on a trip away from region 2 and acheaved way high success rate than doing day trips in 2.

Shot and helped other shoot lots of blacks even in 2. Not saying you can't take a bear in 2 but offering advice on options with way higher success rate.

Way better options as far as numbers, average size, and bear's with a lower IQ lol

[Wild one]

If you are hunting areas with open timber and a bear jumps off the road it is worth trying to follow often they don't go far. This is a big plus about hunting out of region 2

[Bonz]

Yep that is alright not even close to my best afternoons in good locations. If a guy wants to kill an afternoon yes stay in region2 do it enough and you can take a bear. 15 years ago I would never suggest traveling out of 2. Now if a guys can take a few days for a trip head else where. We figured out it was cheaper to go on a trip away from region 2 and acheaved way high success rate than doing day trips in 2.

Shot and helped other shoot lots of blacks even in 2. Not saying you can't take a bear in 2 but offering advice on options with way higher success rate.

Way better options as far as numbers, average size, and bear's with a lower IQ lol

for the location and how bussy it is in those areas i felt it was a decent day. especialy for first week of april, knew it was to early for my reg spot so was more helping another new guy and learn more than an actual hunt. my usual spot is out further. been very succsfull. last year only went 2 day trips. got buddy new guy his book bear. and year before i got my 2 and helped 5 others take a dirt nap in in my area.


deffiantly agree the cost to head out vs pound local roads is better choice

[Wild one]

For that area I agree 5 bear's in 3 hrs is really good. I think how busy it has become with people in the bush around 2 is a big factor on how the bear hunting has changed. Believe they are still in good numbers just restricted to late afternoon movement, more likely to spook, and believe they moved away from the busyness as well.

It did seem more were targeting bear's but the increase in overall traffic camping/4x4/ATV/other users of the bush seemed to just push them of the beaten path and change their timming

[Backwoods]

If you are hunting areas with open timber and a bear jumps off the road it is worth trying to follow often they don't go far. This is a big plus about hunting out of region 2

I enjoy that about bear hunting, got my largest bear after spotting him on the road around 400 yards away, I hit my barrel on my rhino roll cage by accident, spooked him off while eating lunch mid day Aug 15, so from experience I knew what to do!! took my boots off for a stalk on the gravel in my socks, hiked about 100 yards, set up and waited 15min to get a better judgment, as like usual there he was poking his head out, he started feeding on the clover and making his way up the road, this being opening day for moose I really didn't want to shoot a smaller bear and scare of any moose in the area that I scouted knowing theres moose right in around there, he made his way towards me, wind was perfect for me, he was about 80 yards from me without noticing, he wasn't huge but had a big head, so I was going to pass on him until I yelled a few times at him because he was coming in at a fair pace and I wasn't going to take him, then when I yelled it turned into a charge and after quick decision to take him, I ranged him at 40 yards after he was down, after all ended up being my largest bear and goes to show how hard they are to judge in the field! Best of luck to all going after Spring bear this year!!

[Bonz]

and i will say, other times ive gone and not seen anything..so it isnt always that way. and i been in there for years., kinda know where to go and not waste time looking elsewhere to. that helps big time

my honey hole out of town is usualy hated by most when they go first time with me..different terrain. no open cuts and steep everywhere. all thick bush, but of all my trips in there over past few years. only 2 times with no bear out of there, i always get told the place sux...as i cone home with my bear or a buddies bear...lol suck is good then, for me..go somewhere else then, im ok with that.....i like it..lol

[snipersights]

My spots about 115 km from my house and I have a flat spot on the gravel road where I set up my tent at the end of a logging road culdesac. The actual tent spot is at the bottom of a big clear cut. I can quad in there about 30km in one direction and all over in other directions. It's kinda a spiderweb of roads. Seen two nice bears up there last year saw both of them 4 times each and both of them in the same spots different times of day. Didn't feel comfortable with the shot I had on one (460) yards on the opposite side of a valley and the other always spooked. Hoping to put both in the freezer this year.