Bear help!

[MZac]

First year hunting big game and the bears have been illusive. I've gotten out about a half dozen times (mostly I was too early in the season, was eager to get out April 1st.. Then 15th...then 21st...). I'm finally starting to see sign, like this today:

https://i.imgur.com/4RxKbXl.jpg

And I did see this juvenile crossing an fsr in front of me:

https://i.imgur.com/DrpZr78.jpg

I was able to get out, load my rifle, and stalk him to get within 25 yards and snap the pic. But he was the first one I've seen in the wild while hunting and looked small (much smaller than the picture appears, like a mid sized dog), and it all happened quite quickly. I wasn't sure and eventually as I climbed the hill the bear took off.

I'm in region 2 and I'm looking for some help with what else I can do. I've come accross fresh scat on fsr's a couple times and the areas I've found them in are super thick and steep (in these areas of region 2 I can't see anything through the trees beyond a few feet outside of cut blocks). There haven't been any cut blocks within a few km of where I've seen the fresh scat.

So, I end up getting out of the truck, walking the road, and hanging out in the area for a while. What else, if anything, should I be doing in these scenarios?

I'm also really new to finding decent glassing areas. I don't know if this is a common problem in region 2 as everything seems so thick, or if I just suck at it. Any help appreciated.

I can usually get out for half to full days during the week, if anyone else has that kind of weird availability and wants to get out, I'm definitely open to it.

[Ron.C]

Nice job on getting close and snapping a picture!!!!

Glassing is all about patience and picking an area apart piece by piece. Then sit some more and pick it apart again. With some experience, you'll start to learn areas to concentrate on. Good optics definitely help, but add little advantage if you can't sit still long enough to put them to use.

If you don't have a good memory, keep a log. We see bears in the same spots year after year. And we are starting to see a pattern with bigger bears in those same spots. Over about 9 years of hunting my bear spot, we have found 2 killer glassing perches that always pay off in bear sightings.

Look for foliage moving when there is nothing else moving round it. This is often what gets us looking very close at a spot and I've seen many bears while creeping down a road by seeing a small limb swinging around.

Creeping along old deactivated roads after everything is greened up works well. If you are not seeing allot of scat on the road, look in the ditches. You'll know a hot spot when you see it.

Evening tends to be the most productive. And a dry evening after a morning/afternoon ra​in seems to be the money. Keep the wind in your favor and don't waste your time if it's not.

Lastly, lots of traffic is not conducive to a good bear spot. The less traffic a particular spot has, the more bears you'll tend to see and more bigger bears.

[Rayne]

Glassing region 2 is hard. Find a spot with sign and sit. You would be amazed that you can walk into a spot with lots of sign see nothing leave come back 15 minutes later and there’s a bear. Give that tactic a try. They can’t tell what’s new or old scent and will occasionally brave it if they are hungry enough

[caddisguy]

Doing the right thing by getting out and walking. Road hunting in Region 2 is difficult for the most part. Bears usually run for the next time zone when they hear a vehicle coming. There are tons of bears, but I only see about 1 bear driving for every 50 I see walking the same places. I can go a year or two without seeing a bear while driving versus seeing 1-3 a day walking or having a little sit down.

And usually when we do see them near the road, it's a busy main line and they are very small likely young bears. Sound of an engine driving up a spur road in R2 and they know what the deal is. Even bear infested places where we commonly see them while walking, at most and very rarely we catch a glimpse of one a few hundred yards away running at warp speed. Bears are taught and learn behavior differently (and I speculate genetically) in different areas. In an area with a lot of people, not a ton of roads and endless amounts of cover, their reaction to an engine on a spur in R2 will be different than in say PG or Quesnel.

What Rayne said is good advice. If you sit in a nice grassy feeding pocket or poke in and out of a few different ones throughout the day or weekend, even respectable boars will walk right up to you from down wind. I often camp where I hunt shoot bears right around camp.

That's a respectable and reasonably fresh (24hr tops) scat btw. Any good grass / dandelion action bear by? Check to see if there are missing dandelions heads and nipped grass? Might be a good place for a sit.

[HarryToolips]

What the others said...and judging by your scat pic, that's a big bear left that pile....don't know about reg 2 but where I am they like eating dandelions and clover it seems when it's out...

[Harvest the Land]

All great advice so far. I would emphasize that right now at this specific time of year when they're just waking up, to focus on the freshest patches of green grass you can find, because that's what they're keying in on right now. Eventually they gradually start eating dandelions and other forage like that, but right now I would say its all about grass.

Also, Region 2 is a pretty difficult area to cut your teeth in bear hunting, for a variety of reasons not the least of which is the rugged terrain, so don't get discouraged. Its a steep learning curve, but there's definitely a good number of bears and plenty of colour phased ones too.

You're on the right track

[RainyLaker]

I'd be interested in going out together. I had a great hunt Sat-Tues where I learned a tonne, saw a lot of bears but don't think I ever came very close to a good shot.

I found a few glassing spots overlooking some marshy areas. I'm sure it was a big boar as well as many others in this one swamp. The boar kept coming out to feed like clockwork every few hours. He'd come right out broadside in it was so frustrating wishing I was down there instead of 1.5k away.

When I finally made a play, I knew the wind was iffy. Good thermals in the cut block but light and swirly in the swamp. I waited for hours in a spot until sun dipped behind the mountains and then got ready hoping for a 150yd shot. Sure enough within minutes of the sun going down, that damn bear circled behind me. Must've been within 20 yards wide open at the closest. I saw it at 40 heading away into the bush. I ran to try to cut it off but couldn't find it through the brush.

Scared the crap out of me thinking this was some Einstein bear coming to scout me out. I didn't stay to last light. I got the f out of there. It was a 200m slog up to the truck. Lots of pooh, tracks, trails.

From what I could see they were all down around the rivers/marshes in amongst thick willows. And they're thick! I tried going back in there the next day but through the willows. Took me 3hrs to get 400m. I turned around halfway and called it a hunt.

Nothing holding them on the road. I appreciate what caddisguy said about driving vs walking. I'll try that next time. I camped up in the blocks. I think the smaller bears go up there at night and come down. That big guy just stayed put all day. He's probably still there but the wind was never right. Probably why he's there.

There is a lot of skunk cabbage that I've read they like. Couldn't find any dandelions or fireweed though. Skunk cabbage looked thick and at perfect bloom at 600m elevation.

Also saw a moose, a pine marten get a squirrel, tonnes of hummingbirds, many spooked grouse and some other cool birds. No ticks yet though Caddisguy. I don't think there are any here in BC. Knock wood I've never gotten one. They'd be stupid to waste their time in those willows. I'm the only living thing stupid enough to try to go through there.

[caddisguy]

No ticks yet though Caddisguy. I don't think there are any here in BC. Knock wood I've never gotten one.

Oh there's a few ticks around... just a few. I only picked up around 70 this season. Another HBCer watched me pick off 4 of them while we were standing there talking. We concluded they only like me, but his buddy ended up with one stuck to his neck.

They do hang out in the willows, but usually adjescent to openings and animal pathways. Grassy areas are the worst. Good grassy areas and they're all over the grass, sapling branches, dried maple leaves, etc.

Anyway sounds like an awesome trip out seeing all that wildlife. Spring is really a great time to be out.

[Gateholio]

Drive around. Find where there is a number of poo piles. Walk the road, find where they might be feeding.

Also, drive over the poo so you know next time what is fresh and what is not.

[caddisguy]

Drive around. Find where there is a number of poo piles. Walk the road, find where they might be feeding.

Also, drive over the poo so you know next time what is fresh and what is not.

Am I the only guy that scoops it and tosses off to the side so other hunters pass on by due to the lack of sign in the area? :D

(Another Fraser Valley tactic brought to you by caddisguy)

[DMD]

Haha. That’s awesome caddisguy. I just spent the week working up in haida gwaii. Tons of bears out and about. Too bad it’s only leh. I went out last night for a jog up an old road not far from town. Came around a corner and there was a tank of a boar eating grass in the ditch. He wouldn’t budge with me chatting at him so I turned around and tried a different spur. About a kilometre later ran into another slightly smaller bear. Neat to see. Some of these bears up here are monsters!

[orest.06]

Rose geranium oil keeps them off of me. Amazon.ca

[MZac]

Nice job on getting close and snapping a picture!!!!

...Lastly, lots of traffic is not conducive to a good bear spot. The less traffic a particular spot has, the more bears you'll tend to see and more bigger bears.

Thanks Ron. Even on a weekday it's tough to get away from traffic in the area, multiple logging trucks and recreational users.


Glassing region 2 is hard. Find a spot with sign and sit. You would be amazed that you can walk into a spot with lots of sign see nothing leave come back 15 minutes later and there’s a bear. Give that tactic a try...

I will definitely try this. Glad it's not just me feeling like I'm doing something wrong trying to glass Reg 2. Thank you.


...That's a respectable and reasonably fresh (24hr tops) scat btw. Any good grass / dandelion action bear by? Check to see if there are missing dandelions heads and nipped grass? Might be a good place for a sit.

Thanks for responding. Lots of green in the area but I can't seem to find bigger grass areas. Some dandelions but I didn't think to look closer at the dandelions, I will try this strategy next time.


What the others said...and judging by your scat pic, that's a big bear left that pile....don't know about reg 2 but where I am they like eating dandelions and clover it seems when it's out...

Thanks. I thought it looked like a big bear as well, it's the biggest pile of crap I've found so far.


All great advice so far. I would emphasize that right now at this specific time of year when they're just waking up, to focus on the freshest patches of green grass you can find, because that's what they're keying in on right now. Eventually they gradually start eating dandelions and other forage like that, but right now I would say its all about grass.

Also, Region 2 is a pretty difficult area to cut your teeth in bear hunting, for a variety of reasons not the least of which is the rugged terrain, so don't get discouraged. Its a steep learning curve, but there's definitely a good number of bears and plenty of colour phased ones too.

You're on the right track

Thanks for the mental support! It is actually quite helpful to know there's hope with the approach, haha. I am having a hard time locating bigger areas of green grass. I see small patches everywhere with no bear sign in them (or I'm missing it - IE: dandelion heads missing). It sometimes feels like this area is nothing but dense rain forrest.


I'd be interested in going out together...

Thanks for the story Rainy, will PM today.


Overall, I think I need to get further away from the main FSR roads which I'm having some trouble with because a lot of the side roads are gated or marked as heavy logging use and to stay off of them. Where I see the scat too many vehicles seem to drive by frequently, so I walk or sit for a bit and a vehicle or two passes and it seems senseless to stay in the area with all the racket. Need to be a bit more adventurous I suppose and pick a smaller road (like the ones that look like only an ATV would fit?) and stick to it for 5-10km walking/sitting when I see sign. Great responses though guys, I appreciate you all taking the time.

[RICKADY]

MZac, seen that same huge pile the day before you were there, it was cold when i came across it, wednesday 11 am ish, i hung out for while, did not see a thing, yes very busy traffic up there, but the bruins are there, take your time, i will heading up again mid week, good luck.

https://i.imgur.com/GFJv2Tpm.jpg

Same pile just my foot on other side.

[Tred]

Why you shot him, just with the camera instead :).

Aside, Love "caddisguy" Fraser Valley Tactic

[walks with deer]

Your doing a good job i would have blasted the little one and cooked it like a turkey to pop my cherry lol...

[MZac]

Your doing a good job i would have blasted the little one and cooked it like a turkey to pop my cherry lol...

If I'm being honest, I have such little experience that I wasn't sure if it was a cub or not (just in case it was ~1 years old). Was busy looking and listening for a mom. In hindsight it wasn't a cub, and I'd have shot it if I was sure at the time.

[Downtown]

For starters, if you like to walk look for wet areas with new grass sprouting. If you smell Skunk Cabbage that much better. Then find a decent spot out of the Wind and Glas Glas Glas.

Good Luck
Cheers

[walks with deer]

If I'm being honest, I have such little experience that I wasn't sure if it was a cub or not (just in case it was ~1 years old). Was busy looking and listening for a mom. In hindsight it wasn't a cub, and I'd have shot it if I was sure at the time.

Always better be shy on the trigger than heavy...good job you will get one.