Peace Country Spring Bear Advice

[7mag700]

I'm completely new to bear hunting. See 'em pretty regularly of course, but I'm looking for a little information (without, of course, GPS co-ords or honey holes :wink:) to increase my odds for my first spring bear hunt.

I'm told when they wake up, being hungry, they head right for available forage. Places like warm sun-facing riverbanks where the snow melts earliest for green shoots and grass etc. Is this true? What are their other favourite spring foods? Is there any particular terrain I should stick to? Lowlands? Clear cuts? Hillsides? What about swampy areas?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

7m7

[moosinaround]

Up in your part of the world, DON"T shoot the first one you see!! You will see lots of blackies up there! Any grain fields close by, south facing slopes, creek bottoms where there are fiddle heads. Look for fresh poop, and there usually will be one or more near by!! Good luck, shoot a pumpkin head!! Moosin

[moose2]

Pipelines are a good bet in the spring, they have some ground heat and melt a bit earlier. They are also quite grassy most of the time. ATV access is usually good on them as well.

[gbear]

Also check out pipelines. Because of the heat of the pipe underground, you find a nice strip of green grass earlier then most other places. Logging roads that have been grass seeded also green up early. Then of course, if you head for the mountains, the avalanche chutes are great. I usually find that hunting pipelines and older roads early on the flats works well, and then towards the end of May you can start to head for the mountains as the snow melts there. Ususally by then, the lowlands have green grass and leaves out everywhere, so the bears are more spread out.

[Bear Chaser]

The best time to look for bears up here starts when you start seeing mosquitos regularly. Frogs croaking is also a good indicator that the bears will be starting to move around. Before that it's possible to find a bear but most likely you will waste a pile of fuel driving around looking for places they could be.

If you can get permission anywhere on the riverbreaks from the Beatton, Peace, Pine , etc you will have a good chance of seeing some good sized bears especially if there's a grain field at the top that didn't get harvested the year before.

If you like to road hunt you can hit any oilfield or logging road through crown land when the ditches & pipeline right of ways start greening up.
Farrel Creek, Monias and the Inga Lake areas are all going to have bears.

[daycort]

Good advice Baby Bear Chaser, with all that driving around no wonder you never get any work done. I personally do not start going out for bear until about the second week in May.

[Bear Chaser]

Good advice Baby Bear Chaser, with all that driving around no wonder you never get any work done. I personally do not start going out for bear until about the second week in May.

LOL. Was it three years ago somebody called me to work all night for him in the spring? I don't know if I told you about all the elk I saw on the way home at dawn as well the woolly dark blond bear in the ditch that I almost got to climb a power pole. Too bad no camera.

[dukester]

pm sent. good luck.

[BCHunterFSJ]

Lots of good advice from Bear Chaser and others! I would like to stress that it is really no point going out too early! You'll see way more bears from mid-May through June. I look for the first leaves to start coming out on the aspens. When they do, it's time to go! Oh, and don't forget Milligan Creek and the Fontas...

[7mag700]

Yep great advice, thanks all!

...but how the hell am I supposed to manage waiting another month???

I could've swore I saw a post on here that a blackie had been spotted out towards Grande Prairie already. I've hardly thought about anything else since :(

7m7

[Bear Chaser]

Every year there's always a few that get up and move around a little early. Back in the early nineties I heard of one getting run over by a logging truck in late February. This little snap of cold we're having now should send any that were out back to the den for a little longer.
Any bears that you see before the end of April will definitely be a bonus and most likely will be out on the rivers.

The best way to spend this time is rehearsing the lies you will need to tell to get away from work, the honeydo list, visiting relatives, etc to go hunting.

[7mag700]

The best way to spend this time is rehearsing the lies you will need to tell to get away from work, the honeydo list, visiting relatives, etc to go hunting.

More good advice :mrgreen:

7m7

[luckynuts]

I'll take you to a few spots or at least update you on a few this spring. Will be able to shore it up with a money back guarantee:-D:-D:-D:wink:.

Depends on how this spring shapes up, might need to get out earlier if it warms up to fast. Once it starts to green up in the trees you need to wait for the end of may 1st week of June to catch the big boys when they start roaming for girls. Though most springs the edges of secluded roads with good greenery can find some nice ones early may. last year first bear I seen was May 18th. Year before that April 2nd so you just never know. I shot my bear last year in 2nd week of June had the best coat i have ever seen 6'4"

Maybe see you tonight at the pomeroy.

W.

[moosehunter21]

Still lots of now on the milligan and fontas. Been working out that way for a few weeks now. Lots of coyotes out there tho...

[7mag700]

Saw a sow and cub up above the golf course in Taylor - they're definately up and moving in the Peace country :-D

...but I gotta wait a bit before going out for one - promised my youngest stepson that I'd wait until he gets back from his dad's before going out - he's really pumped to go on a bear hunt.

Thanks again for the advice all,

7m7

[Bear Chaser]

Good luck. I hope to get both of my kids out this year. Hopefully start looking in the next couple weeks.

[bear buster]

Seen lots on the hills along the Peace River, lots of sows and cubs. seen our first bear looking for sheds along hills by Clayhurst the first week of April. got up close and personal with 3 cubs looking for moose sheds on a south facing bush slope by the Peace. Here's some pics.
http://s988.photobucket.com/albums/af9/carsonbeaulieu/cubs/ I tend to have my best luck around last years oat feilds, as for the pipelines they are really good out the One Island Lake way, lots of good spots to watch or glass. Good luck.

[leadpillproductions]

seen a couple 10 days ago . 5 more sleeps and im out there for 6 days to do some filming .