First Bear Hunt Questions

[sailpunk]

This is my first bear hunt this weekend and I am pretty new to this whole thing so I apologize in advance if these are newbie questions:


I have a Jeep and was looking to head up Chilliwack Lake way or some of the back roads around the Caroline Mines exit past Hope. Any recommendations on areas?
I have .303 and was planning on using 180 grain is this an appropriate round?
Game Cutters between Chilliwack and Vancouver; recommendations; is it necessary with a black bear (I have a meat grinder should I just grind him up)?
Hide preservation; I would like to retain the hide, nothing fancy (no head, claws or backing), how much should I expect to pay or is it a do it yourself type project?
Any other recommendations

Cheers

[835]

take high percentage shots, Broadside and in the boiler room. Shoot till they are dead and not moving. Leave them alone for as long as you can (30min or 1hr)
if they run into the bush and you didnt see them go down. Bring some surveyers tape to mark a blood trail From where you shot and where it was shot. And dont shoot a sow with cubs.

I cant help you with the area or anything else on your list. Cuz i dont know the awnser! Other then a .303 180gr will kill a bear dead if you do your part.
Just have fun and take a camera so you can post some pictures!

[greenhorn]

If you want to preserve the hide for tanning then you're in for some work. If you're going to pay for the hide to get tanned then it'll be several hundreds of dollars (or more). If you do it yourself you can save alot of money but it takes TIME. Let us know whether you plan on paying someone to tan it, or do it yourself.

Either way, you'll need to get a bear with a nice coat on it, which is the first step in the process :)

Re: the meat - I usually get my bears turned into pepperoni, sausage or ground meat. I'd recommend grinding some and getting the rest made into sausage or something else you like. Since it's your first bear then you might as well try out the ground meat and sausage/pepp options.... then you'll know what you like for next time.

Have fun!!

[steepNdeep]

I agree w/ 835.

> Watch for a while to ensure no cubs. They often hang back in cover for a while. If you see the bear looking into the bush watch & wait. There are tons of bears around, take your time.

> Dogs on a fresh scent can make the difference in a recovery or not. Maybe talk to guys in the area ahead of time & find out if one is available if needed.

> A vitals shot gives the largest margin of error & is the surest kill shot - to be safe, try to center punch the vitals (heart/lung area) on a broadside. They will run a ways - usually ~40 yards & die.

From website: The coat on a black bear can be very puffy and make it difficult to know exactly where to aim. The vitals on a black bear sit a little higher than the vitals on a whitetail. If you are used to shooting deer be sure and pay close attention to the diagram above. If you aim in the middle of the chest cavity on a bear you should be right in the middle of the vitals. If you have never hunted bear before it would be wise to invest in a 3D bear target to get in some practice on actually shooting at a bear. Know your targets kill zone and you will have a successful hunt:

http://www.bowhuntingnorthamerica.com/images/Shot%20Placement/Bear%20Color%20487.jpg

it's a great way to get out in the spring...

[sarg]

u can try sumas meats in abbotford,they did my bear last year,turn out ok, i recommend u get atleast one ham done thou, bear hams are pretty tasty, as for are chilliwack area it's ok but if u can go further the better, i'm heading up past the old toll both on saturday for a day hunt, i've being pretty lucky up there for bears so far. were ever u end up good luck and take lots of pics.
sarg

[warnniklz]

Hide preservation...

If you don't want/can't afford to have it done right away...

1. Skin it out. Taxidermist can do the paws and skull to have it done properly but it cost some extra coin.
2. Lay it flat on the ground fur side down, flesh side up.
3. Fold the arms and legs in
4. Roll up starting at the tail
5. store in plastic bag in freezer

[nolimits]

Hide preservation...

If you don't want/can't afford to have it done right away...

1. Skin it out. Taxidermist can do the paws and skull to have it done properly but it cost some extra coin.
2. Lay it flat on the ground fur side down, flesh side up.
3. Fold the arms and legs in
4. Roll up starting at the tail
5. store in plastic bag in freezer

Should there be salt used at any time?

[buck nash]

Your 180 grain 303 will do quite nicely.

Make a note of exactly where he is before you take you shot incase you need to track him. Then after the shot do your best to keep your eye on him if he runs. They don't bleed much but they usaully run in a straight line after a shot so try to at least get a direction of travel. There's been at least one recent thread on this site with some good advice for tracking strategies.

X2 on sumas meats. Reccomend the chorizo if you like a bit of spice, the appitizer sausage is like a good smokie.

As for the hide...lots of work. You're gonna need some space that you don't mind smelling like rancid death for a while, build a frame, scrape it (but not too much or you'll loose fur), tan it, work it and so on.... Oh yeah... if you're married, you'll need a wife with a good sence of humour. warnniklz's advice is probably your best bet 'til you've had a chance to decide what to do with it. But when you skin him be careful not to pierce the hide and be sure to keep your cuts as well centred as possible in order to maximize the size of a pelt. It's not too hard to get the skull out without damaging the hide, just be extra careful around the eyes. Go slow with a very sharp knife suited for delicate work. Let the taxi turn the ears and do the paws.

Don't use salt if you're gonna freeze it.

If you get one with a crappy hide, its still worthwhile to skin him out as though you were keeping the hide, just for practice for when you get a nice one. That's what I did with mine. Nothing beats hands on experience for learnin'.

[rides bike to work]

I did my best at turning the ears and paws lips it was a lot of work but turned out pretty good salted it with table salt in a cooler with ice for 2 days then broght it to pacific leather on commercial drive vancouver they charge $275 for a bear under 6ft 350 over.De boned the meat and threw it in the freezer for two weeks than brought it to johnson meats for pepparoni and breakfast sausage.

[4cefedomni]

Firstly I've had the most success by driving around looking for sign. Once you find a good area, get a good vantage point and sit and wait, and wait some more. Patience is the key.

Second. Make sure the bear you're shooting at is the bear you want. Watch it for a while make sure there are no cubs with it, and that it is the size you want. Judging a bears size can be very tricky so do a little studying before you go on how to tell a big bear from a small. Also it's getting pretty late in the season so it might be getting rubbed. Have a good look at the fur. When it starts to get warm out the bears will start rubbing themselves on trees to get rid of their long winter fur. There are lots of bears out there so be choosy and take the one you want.

I almost always go for the vitals, unless the bear is close to some thick bush and then I'll try and shoot through a shoulder and into the vitals to anchor him down. A quick follow up shot is recommended if it starts to run.

When you get a bear skin it ASAP! This will help cool the meat and keep the hide in good shape. Most people skin it up to the wrists and ankles and the base of the skull, go as far as you're comfortable going. Remove as much tissue as possible from the hide. As you skin it lay it out flat fur side down to let it cool. Once you're done skinning it and it's spread out you have 2 options. If you can keep it cool and get to a freezer within a day or 2 you can just roll it up. But if you can't then salting it is the way to go. Bring at least a pound of salt and rub it all over the skin. Get it into all the nooks and crannies making sure to pack some as far as you can into the paws and the head.

Whatever you decide to do with the meat you should treat it like pork. Bears like pigs can carry tricanosis(sp?) so you should always wait and let it age at least a month in the freezer before you eat it. You might want to check into that as some curing processes might be edible earlier than others, pepperoni etc.

Good Luck!

[sailpunk]

WOW! Thanks guys; I really appreciate all the excellent advice.

I am really excited about this and if I'm lucky all post all the pics.

I think the tanning thing maybe a bit beyond me at this stage since I live in a condo downtown and my neighbours would frown on my stretching a hide in my parking stall. My wife has also been adverse to the stench of rotten death. LOL.

Thanks again for your advice on this!

[THE BEAST]

i think that the 303 is plenty of gun:mrgreen:

[4cefedomni]

I would seriously consider driving the extra 45 minutes and going up the coq or the canyon. Chilliwack lake area is gonna be full of dirtbikers and drunken idiots. I'm heading up to Boston bar this weekend with a buddy of mine that's never been bear hunting before. We are gonna try and get into Scuzzy creek if the roads aren't washed out.

Wherever you go watch out for washouts. This time of year the runoff can cut the roads up really bad. They might look small and be only a foot or 2 across but they can easily be 3 feet deep! I had to pull my buddies lifted s10 out of one on the long weekend right after I drove through it with my stock height sonoma. The moron put both his front wheels in the ditch at the same time....