Peak action for spring bear

[Husky7mm]

I will be very pressed for time this spring. I may only be able to go spring bear hunting for a few days to half a week:icon_frow Has anyone who has done alot of bear hunting noticed a perticulaly good time to get peak action if "all your eggs where in one basket"I will be hunting in the kootenays so spring genrally comes later than on the coast. If I get lucky grizz may also be an option:smile:

[Marc]

A lot of guys go the long weekend in May, but my advice would be to go before it, or after it that way there is less hunters in the woods to compete with unless you like the crowds.

Marc.

[Camp Cook]

I start seeing a lot in the second week of May.

The earliest that I have ever shoot a bear was April 28.

Cam

[Kirby]

I would bank on May long, or the weekend after. I was seeing bears out by April 15 this year, but none of the big boys started to appear till 1st week in May. This would also be dependant on where you are hunting. These dates are for the interior.

Kirby

[3kills]

i would say may long as well...i got mine last year on may 11th i think it was and there was lots out then too...

[Freshtracks]

Allot is determined by:

1) The spring weather ... warm or cold?

2) The area you will be hunting ... lowland green areas or high slides and
chutes?

For my fav bear haunt, in the second year, we found the 1st week of June best, do to it being way back bordering below alpine elevations. May would show small sows, the odd medium boar. The big guys showed up just before mating season got under way. Less than 50 miles away you had to hunt the beginning of May, by the 3rd week everything had greened up and it was harder to pinpoint those concentrated locations.

Think young tender sprouting greens and the weather you receive should narrow the window of premium opportunity down. :wink:

[i6s1]

My cuz travels the logging roads a lot near Quenel, he says he sees the most bears late may/early june. So I'm going later this year.

[steel_ram]

Mother's day weekend. I've come home late on a few of those and I'll never be allowed to forget it.

[lip_ripper00]

Mother's day weekend. I've come home late on a few of those and I'll never be allowed to forget it.
your are a brave, brave ,man:p

[ryanb]

I spent nearly every weekend from the end of April onwards hunting bears this spring. Didn't start seeing a LOT of them until the last 2 weeks of may, which continued until I shot my bear on June 6th.

[Islandeer]

I like to look for the prime early green areas,usually south facing...even better if this honey hole is hard to get to...the big guys like their privacy. I'm told that on the island the last week of the season can be action packed as the boars are out looking for sows.

[Elkhound]

On the coast here I see more bears middle of may,early june.

[Trapper]

Last two weeks of May for sure.Thats when most of the bears are shot here in the East Kootenays.

[Islandeer]

Hey trapper, do you hunt the Red Rock canyon/Maguire creek area at all?

[todbartell]

depends on your area, but the weekend before May long is good usually

not so much foilage on the trees so visibility is good, and there is grass showing up most places too

[elkmaster]

;) When it comes to bear hunting , the times may vary between different areas in the province, depending on snow cover.
Bear hunting in the Elk Valley is great the last couple of weeks of May, and the first week of June.
I other area's of the province that doesn't get much for snow pack, any time from the beginning of April on.

[Trapper]

Islandeer

I use to hunt Macguire creek long time ago,it gets to much pressure now,
and i use to hunt red canyon a little,I still hunt Grasmere,i got a 6x6 bull elk there this last season, I don't live to far from there,Do you know where Jaffray is?Thats where i live.

[Islandeer]

Trapper,We are finding the same thing about Maguire. We still hunt it though... love the timber,but it can get busy. We have been hunting the south country for ever for whiteys, down around Gold cr. So yeah i know Jafry. I know a guy who cuts Christmas trees down grassmere way. We are planning an elk trip next season,there is a vehicle closed area that we are going to hike into over on our side of the Kookanusa. How did you make out on whiteys and muleys this year? Congrats on your bull!

[Trapper]

Islandeer

You shouldn't have to hard of time getting a elk,there lots of them around,As far as whiteys i got one around 145 (gross ) and couldn't find a big enough muley,seen lots of four points,but my son got a big muley it goes (205 gross) nice deer,thats why i was holding out for a big muley (i won't be able to live with him if i shot a smaller one) little bugger.
I was down on the island a few years ago bear hunting and took a nice black he went 20 3/16 and 7 foot around Gold River.

[oldtimer]

No doubt about it up here....Long weekend in may and the week after. Should see a minimum of 6 to 8 bear a day. Mike

[4pointer]

No preference on bear hunting. I see them everytime where I go. I got my first one on April 1.

[Kirby]

72 days left...

Kirby

[rock]

May seems to be the month juring my scouting for deer we run into alot of bears. Thats in the south east corner of bc, lots of brown colored bears a few years ago.