Spring bear in Cariboo help?

[Stu]

I’m looking for info on spring bear hunting in Cariboo region.

I’ve been “hunting” for a few years now, more often than not unsuccessfully. Mostly due to living in the city, inexperience, not being able to spend enough time in the woods scouting, therefore not hunting at the right time at the right place, etc. So far, I was able to harvest a mule doe that I got on LEH, and a smaller black bear two years ago.


I know many people probably disagree, but I find the bear meat much better than deer. If I had a deer and a bear standing side by side, I would take the bear...
Which brings me to my quest for this year bear hunt.

I’m dedicating one week this year just for spring bear hunt. People seem to mention that there are tons of bears in the interior and I’m thinking about hunting there this year.


I will be going end of May first week of June. The plan is to hunt somewhere north of Williams lake, PG, up to maybe Vanderhoof, Mackenzie??? I don't know.

This will be pretty much the only opportunity for me to fill the freezer for this year. I would like to do everything I can to be successful. It is purely for meat, I don’t care about color or anything really, just that the bears are healthy.


The land is vast, departure day is getting closer, and I don’t know where to start. Is there anyone who lives in the area who wouldn’t mind helping out and point me in the right direction? Not asking for gps coordinates just perhaps areas that are known to hold bears, perhaps placed to avoid, etc. Just to get me started. Is that even the right time to be looking for bears there? Could I realistically fill two tags in a week there?


I would greatly appreciate if anyone could help me out.

Thank you.
Stu

[RackStar]

If you came up around PG and spent 5 day’s hunting bear, especially those dates you picked ... you should be able to have 2 bears and get some wicked fishing done. I would recommend places. But pretty much everywhere Is good for bear up here

[warnniklz]

Anywhere you head out will hold bears in your time frame. Pick a spot and go.

[andrew5]

Hi Stu,

I am in the same boat as you. only three seasons in, and learning the ropes without a mentor so happy to help with what I know. I had a moose LEH up there a year and a half ago.

look into Woodcock lake and Grizzly Lake rec sites. both are good sites, and I liked the fact that they are in a good 35 - 40 minutes from Vanderhoof / PG so you filter out a lot of the after work crowd just going for a quick couple hours of road hunting. Good terrain all around these sites. good fishing for mid-day doldrums. lots of cut blocks and good areas to glass.

Moosinaround gas a great resource for that neck of the woods, as he lives in the area. You might want to reach out to him.

Also be weary of Grizz up there. I was cow calling and had one come barreling down a slope from 70 yards at me full sprint, and was lucky enough to stop it with my voice just before it got into a willow patch that led right up to about 5 yards in front of me.

I did a lot of E scouting and spent 7 days up there, so if this general area interests you, I can help futher.

[Arctic Lake]

Mr S Rupp could steer you in the right direction . I’m not trying to be a pain but I don’t think you need to go all the way to P.G. or the Hoof for black bear , unless of course you want to ! Best of luck !
Arctic Lake

[cameron0518]

Try anywhere, no need to overthink this. If you find bear scat, stick with it. If not, move on. Good luck and have fun.

[Jagermeister]

There are a couple of things that interest bears in the spring.

The first is having their gut purged. During hibernation, they have been living off the fat that they had accumulated prior to their nap. To get it going, they prefer to eat vegetation, mainly new grass. So you want to keep your eyes on south facing slopes that get lots of sun which leads to early grass growth. Power lines come to mind as do recent clearcuts preferably a couple of years old. Don't overlook areas of forest fires too. Lots of vegetation pops up on these. Only problem with burnt area is distinguishing bears from blackened stumps.

After the purge, they turn their attention to protein. If an area has a good population of gophers or ground squirrels, you may find bears hanging out around there as the rodents will emerge earlier in the spring. And then there is nothing like the waft of fresh placenta in the air to get a bear hauling ass looking for the source. So in late may and into June, watch for pregnant deer, moose and elk that are getting ready to birth. Do them a favor; whack a bear, save a fawn or calf or two.

Where to go? You usually don't need to go to far away from the city. But if you were to head up into the Cariboo, anywhere east of the Fraser River would do. Swift River/Nyland Lake come to mind.

[Stu]

I just want to say thanks to everyone for the info here and the pm's I got.



Mr S Rupp could steer you in the right direction . I’m not trying to be a pain but I don’t think you need to go all the way to P.G. or the Hoof for black bear , unless of course you want to ! Best of luck !
Arctic Lake
I know what you mean, I just like to go and explore different places, change of scenery, and preferably away from people. Hunting for me is more like a retreat.



There are a couple of things that interest bears in the spring.

The first is having their gut purged. During hibernation, they have been living off the fat that they had accumulated prior to their nap. To get it going, they prefer to eat vegetation, mainly new grass. So you want to keep your eyes on south facing slopes that get lots of sun which leads to early grass growth. Power lines come to mind as do recent clear cuts preferably a couple of years old. Don't overlook areas of forest fires too. Lots of vegetation pops up on these. Only problem with burnt area is distinguishing bears from blackened stumps.

After the purge, they turn their attention to protein. If an area has a good population of gophers or ground squirrels, you may find bears hanging out around there as the rodents will emerge earlier in the spring. And then there is nothing like the waft of fresh placenta in the air to get a bear hauling ass looking for the source. So in late may and into June, watch for pregnant deer, moose and elk that are getting ready to birth. Do them a favor; whack a bear, save a fawn or calf or two.

Where to go? You usually don't need to go to far away from the city. But if you were to head up into the Cariboo, anywhere east of the Fraser River would do. Swift River/Nyland Lake come to mind.
Thank you for the great tips. There will be two less bears there this year if I can help it. And yess, I want to be away from the city. :)



Hi Stu,

I am in the same boat as you. only three seasons in, and learning the ropes without a mentor so happy to help with what I know. I had a moose LEH up there a year and a half ago.

look into Woodcock lake and Grizzly Lake rec sites. both are good sites, and I liked the fact that they are in a good 35 - 40 minutes from Vanderhoof / PG so you filter out a lot of the after work crowd just going for a quick couple hours of road hunting. Good terrain all around these sites. good fishing for mid-day doldrums. lots of cut blocks and good areas to glass.

Moosinaround gas a great resource for that neck of the woods, as he lives in the area. You might want to reach out to him.

Also be weary of Grizz up there. I was cow calling and had one come barreling down a slope from 70 yards at me full sprint, and was lucky enough to stop it with my voice just before it got into a willow patch that led right up to about 5 yards in front of me.

I did a lot of E scouting and spent 7 days up there, so if this general area interests you, I can help futher.
That sounds like an area I would love to explore. I don't think I would want to be calling for bear in Grizzly country, that would be a bit too much excitement for me. :) I'm more than happy to take up on your offer for more info. I'll send you a pm later.
Thank you.

[Stu]

Not really bear hunting specific but I have some other questions about the region to help me better prepare.

What is the weather like that time of the year?
Freezing overnight, warm during day?
Should I expect lots of rain or is it mostly dry that time of the year?
How bad are the bugs?
How about ticks? Are they a problem there?

[srupp]

Hmm pretty much anywhere east of Williams lk
May 15....onward
Send PM with # I will call
Srupp

[warnniklz]

Not really bear hunting specific but I have some other questions about the region to help me better prepare.

What is the weather like that time of the year?
Freezing overnight, warm during day? Can be
Should I expect lots of rain or is it mostly dry that time of the year? Can have rain, also can get first sunburn of the year
How bad are the bugs? Mosquitoes yeah. But they won't kill you
How about ticks? Are they a problem there? I've only ever managed to get one tick on me

..........

[tigrr]

North of Vanderhoof is an awesome area for hunting and fishing. Locate a forestry campground on a lake and enjoy.
Breakfast and lunch. Dolphin lake.
https://i.postimg.cc/VkpzLND4/IMG-1189.jpg (https://postimg.cc/87R2ZT8r)

[tigrr]

The 6 wolf pack has killed and eaten the bears north of Horsefly, right in their den. I will be travelling for my spring bear.
Might see you in the Vanderhoof area. Or Burns Lake area.

[robert05]

Come on out to Nimpo Lake /Anahim Lake area, lots of spring bear with little pressure. pm me if you wish.
.

[warnniklz]

Come on out to Nimpo Lake /Anahim Lake area, lots of spring bear with little pressure. pm me if you wish.
.

Big ass bears out there too

[srupp]

Hmm yes Warren is correct..some big ass bears out West too..
Was to guide for wounded warriors..client got his leave cancelied literally last moment..
Chilcotin Hillbilly had me take him out..first day first 2 hours Mr.Hillbilly harvested an amazing large brown phase bear..lots of scars..fighter..lover..
Some really nice bears..big well furred bears..because of higher elevation hides remain primo later..but now most all that area is off limits...
However other areas not in land claim settlement still have very good bear populations..the area just west of aniham/tatla..before the Bella Cool a hill holds great #s..warning grizzlies in the area too.
Srupp

[Arctic Lake]

Robert105 Warnikilz. SRupp

This is where I have a problem as I do not want to encounter problematic natives ! I know you have mentioned before about west of Williams Lake being problematic for this reason .

I have hunted many years ago Sapeye Lake .Miner Lake is that still friendly towards us Caucasian’s ?

Arctic Lake

[Arctic Lake]

Nice fish Tigrr ! I have a friend in Vanderhoof who I put in with for LEH Bull Moose draw each year . I was considering Dolphin as a possible location for moose hunting .
Arctic Lake

North of Vanderhoof is an awesome area for hunting and fishing. Locate a forestry campground on a lake and enjoy.
Breakfast and lunch. Dolphin lake.
https://i.postimg.cc/VkpzLND4/IMG-1189.jpg (https://postimg.cc/87R2ZT8r)

[REMINGTON JIM]

the 6 wolf pack has killed and eaten the bears north of horsefly, right in their den. I will be travelling for my spring bear.
Might see you in the vanderhoof area. Or burns lake area.

:?::?::?::?::?: Huh rj

[Jagermeister]

The 6 wolf pack has killed and eaten the bears north of Horsefly, right in their den. I will be travelling for my spring bear.
Might see you in the Vanderhoof area. Or Burns Lake area.
Why do you think it was the wolves that killed the bears in the den? I would be more inclined to think a hungry grizzly would do the digging. Grizzlies are more than capable to dig out black bear dens than wolves. Lot of dirt to move. This grizzly digs out enough dirt to just about bury himself. Up near Whitecourt Alberta. Video shot by Logan Hunter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziib-MZ5IXY

[srupp]

Hmm mm I personally would not go west to hunt..yes due to possible negative interactions with and by local indigenous individuals. .however there are numerous locations with healthy bear populations.
I have not ever heard of wolves digging bears out of their dens.
However I would not question local knowledge..
There are extensive areas of high density bear activity..far more bears than I would consider reasonable removable by winter wolves in one winter..last spring I am aware of 10 black bears harvested near Horsefly...3 of them in our group..and we let maNY live..other hunters separate from ours harvested numerous bears and saw many others..area was 25 kilometers in length.
Again I repeat I have not heard of wolves digging out black bears during Denning season..ever..BUT do not argue or dispite local knowledge..
Srupp

[tigrr]

I went from seeing 30 black bears to seeing 5 black bears when a pack of 6 wolves moved into the area. The evidence was at the mouth of some dens. Mostly just fur.
I still spend 40 days traversing the same areas. The bears are just not there. Earlier this winter I watched 6 wolves run across the lake again. The local farmer says there are more than 6. Very hard to trap due to vast travelling patterns. Hard to shoot at 1500 yards away too. A trapper said the wolves can smell the bears in the den.

[REMINGTON JIM]

I went from seeing 30 black bears to seeing 5 black bears when a pack of 6 wolves moved into the area. The evidence was at the mouth of some dens. Mostly just fur.
I still spend 40 days traversing the same areas. The bears are just not there. Earlier this winter I watched 6 wolves run across the lake again. The local farmer says there are more than 6. Very hard to trap due to vast travelling patterns. Hard to shoot at 1500 yards away too. A trapper said the wolves can smell the bears in the den.

Very Interesting - Thks for Sharing that Bud - RJ

[robert05]

Native problems end once you get to Tatla then ok west of their. Problems come from the Alexis cr area and south the boys don’t play well with others.
I spend most of the year at Nimpo and never had a problem in 25 years.

[srupp]

Hmm know folks '@Tatla. .still lots of problems there also..maybe slightly different maybe slightly less dangerous ? But still problematic. .being local known liked ? Gives you an advantage ..
Cheers
Srupp

[Stu]

I just want to say Thank You everyone for the overwhelming support and willingness to help. I have received many pointers and I think I'm much closer to have a plan for my trip.

There is one more thing I'm curious about. What is the situation around Babine lake? Is that a good area to consider?

[srupp]

Hmm I admit I was sceptical of Tigrrs. Revelation that wolves had been digging out denied black bears and eating them.
However there appears it has been recorded in Alaska..Wisconsin..Ontario..bear hide was found in wolf scat..biologist? Said it's a learned skill set and not common and is more successfully on younger bears..

Thank you Tigrr..never would have thunk it..was a real education..
As Steven would say...HMMM MM MMM.
Srupp

[Jagermeister]

Hmm I admit I was sceptical of Tigrrs. Revelation that wolves had been digging out denied black bears and eating them.
However there appears it has been recorded in Alaska..Wisconsin..Ontario..bear hide was found in wolf scat..biologist? Said it's a learned skill set and not common and is more successfully on younger bears..

Thank you Tigrr..never would have thunk it..was a real education..
As Steven would say...HMMM MM MMM.
Srupp
That doesn't mean the wolves dug them out Bear hair in wolf scat means that wolves were feeding on bear. Another black bear could have dug them out male black bears have no tolerance for cubs sired by a different male. Or the wolves took down a bear just before hibernation.

"He speculates much of the predation takes place in the winter when wolves pull bears out of their dens and eat them. He cites a fellow guide who found evidence of wolf predation at three bear dens late last winter.And he’s not alone. Tom Ainsworth, a long-time bear outfitter in the Duck Mountains of western Manitoba, says it’s common in his area as well. He says wolves will kill bears whenever they have the right opportunity. One of his guides is a veteran wolf trapper who claims to have come across many cases where wolves have caught bears in their dens, drug them out and killed them. Wolves also will target cubs all year whenever they are far enough from a climbable tree."
spec-u-late; form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence.

I doubt the theory that wolves dig out hibernating bears and will remain a skeptic until someone can report that they actually witnessed wolves digging a bear out of it's den.

[andrew5]

Found this on the Yellowstone US Parks website, where they cited it happening a few times in Canada. I'm not sure where I first heard of wolves doing this from time to time. I imagine it's pretty rare but it happens. I also imagine that it can be a learned hunting strategy for specific packs rather than widespread hunting tactic across the species. really interesting behavior.

Tried to do a screenshot bt the file is too large apparently. here is the quote and site link:

"Wolves sometimes kill bears, but likely only young, old, or otherwise weakened bears. Paquet and Carbyn (1986) reported three cases of wolves digging up and killing cubs of hibernating black bears in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Canada but thought it was not a common occurrence as over 2000 wolf scats in the area did not contain any evidence of bear remains. Bears will also occasionally kill wolves as reported in Ontario, Canada. In both instances, black bears were responsible for the deaths of individual wolves. A black bear killed a female wolf protecting her pups at a den site. In general, most reported interactions are stand-offs with serious confrontations taking place in defense of food or young."

source: https://www.us-parks.com/yellowstone-national-park/bears-and-wolves.html



Hmm mm I personally would not go west to hunt..yes due to possible negative interactions with and by local indigenous individuals. .however there are numerous locations with healthy bear populations.
I have not ever heard of wolves digging bears out of their dens.
However I would not question local knowledge..
There are extensive areas of high density bear activity..far more bears than I would consider reasonable removable by winter wolves in one winter..last spring I am aware of 10 black bears harvested near Horsefly...3 of them in our group..and we let maNY live..other hunters separate from ours harvested numerous bears and saw many others..area was 25 kilometers in length.
Again I repeat I have not heard of wolves digging out black bears during Denning season..ever..BUT do not argue or dispite local knowledge..
Srupp

[Philblock]

All depends on our snow. We just got another couple inches in Prince George and it’s still been cold. The weeks you picked can be hit or miss depending on green graSs showing. If you pm me I can give you area that holds a lot of bears. In my opinion we should be able to increase our bag limit to 3 per season from the increase in sows with 3/4 Cubs.

[moosinaround]

If you venture north of the Cariboo, Give me a shout. I'm up in PG, and I can steer you into a few good spots for bear. First and Last light are your times, and green, green, green!! Clover, dandelions, grass, skunk cabbage early, and calve/fawn distress calls! Moosin

[srupp]

Hmmm
Once snow leaves so you can move about,know that bears usually head down to first areas to green up..cut blocks..along FSR..
It doesn't take much elevation for grass to still be dead and yellow..and a little higher..snow..
It's all about the food..with not a lot of greenEd up areas..it concentrates the bears to where it IS green the later it gets the more different areas the bears can be.getting into june..mating season..paired up..now harder to evade 2 sets of eyes....noses.

I concentrate on the early portion of spring bear season..it's been very very good to me..
Good luck

Srupp

[blackbart]

Region 5 west of Williams Lake is absolutely fantastic for trophy bears. Don't listen to others spewing nonsense, you will be left alone if your not a asshat that deserves to be jerked with mostly. This isn't a terrorist jungle state, even if some want to portray it as such.

The natural grasslands are really really good. You don't need to hunt logged areas. You will be helping the ungulates by hunting the bears in region 5. Come shoot a bear or two.

[tigrr]

Oh and another little tidbit, around Smithers is the releases of a bear recovery station. Years ago they were asked where the release sites were for people to go view the bears. They stopped releasing that info when it was discovered it was hunters asking.
Find a mountain grass and berry fed bear not a salmon stream fed bear.

[Harvest the Land]

I just want to say Thank You everyone for the overwhelming support and willingness to help. I have received many pointers and I think I'm much closer to have a plan for my trip.

There is one more thing I'm curious about. What is the situation around Babine lake? Is that a good area to consider?

Absolutely there are some real knuckle draggers in that neck of the woods - especially a bit further northwest towards the Kispiox. Gorgeous country and some of the best trout fishing - highly recommend exploring if you've got the time. You might even get lucky and spot some really cool critters like wolverine or even a Kermode. I would go for bear in the spring rather than the fall though in order to avoid getting a salmon bear. There's still some areas that are truly wild up there. Good luck