Spring Bear Hunting

[Fapotu]

Thanks Vincentcui for that breakdown!
Thanks to everyone else for their input as well.

Are they like deer, mostly active at dawn/dusk? Or are the spring bears generally active all throughout the day?

[MRP]

A good patch of spring dandelions they will be there all day.

[RyoTHC]

From my experience 2013-2024:

Fur quality:
April > October > May > September > June

Colour-phased rarity by region:
8 > 3 > 5 > 4 > 7 > 6 > 2 > 1

Meat quality:
Fall inland > Spring inland > coastal bear spring and fall

can agree with all that.
most of my hunting for bears is in 8 and 3 and most of my bears are colour phase.

[Ron.C]

Are they like deer, mostly active at dawn/dusk? Or are the spring bears generally active all throughout the day?

I don't even waste time hunting dawn for bears. I'm not saying there are not bears up an moving but it's too easy to find them the rest of the day, especially in spring when green up starts. What makes spring bear hunts such a nice relaxing camp routine in the mornings. But yes, they can be found feeding all day.

If I had to pick a best time it would be evenings, last hour of day being money. Best locations are secluded W to SW facing older deactivated skinny skidder trails with some water (a seep, trickle of a creek or ditch is tons). We have a couple such spots we can spot from a ways off and it's not uncommon to see up to 5 bears on 2 km of trail at the same time in the evening in early May.

My absolute favourite conditions are when its been shitty and raining throughout the day and clears in the evening.

[RyoTHC]

Thanks Vincentcui for that breakdown!
Thanks to everyone else for their input as well.

Are they like deer, mostly active at dawn/dusk? Or are the spring bears generally active all throughout the day?

almost all my bears (double digits) are shot in the middle of the day. Not a single bear at first or last light for me.

[dino]

I'm the worst bear hunter there is.
I thought it would be easy for my boy to have his first kill. 2 years in a row with no bear. Lol

[Kill-da-wabbit]

I have done both spring and fall bears. I think the individual bear has more to do with taste than the season. Last spring I managed to put 2 bears in the freezer, but that left me without a tag for fall. I really like the rendered fat so this year I think I will split my tags between spring and fall as I don't usually have a problem finding bears. I usually hunt region 3 after the May long weekend. I sleep in and head out around 1-2pm to scout for sign and they seem to come out at about 6:30pm in the areas I hunt. My goal this year is to take my 4 yr old son to see his first wild bear in daddy's "army jeep" (1995 Pontiac Sunrunner 2dr). I've had bears approach after a kill so no shooting unless I have another couple of people with me.

[vincentcui]

I'm the worst bear hunter there is.
I thought it would be easy for my boy to have his first kill. 2 years in a row with no bear. Lol

Where did you hunt?

[stosto]

For all hunters that turn their nose to bear, less pressure for the rest of us.
Likely the most underrated bush meat, yet the quality, particularly for spring bear, is quite high. We love it!
I have gotten spring bears with excellent quality of hide (have shared photos on here), thick and lush.
Finally, why not stretch your hunting season into spring, really a wonderful time to be in the bush.
In short, don't sleep on a spring bear hunt.

[hawk-i]

Spring bear for meat for my tastes...lots of Salmon streams in my location. Also spring bears can be so indulged in gorging themselves in early spring that they seem to not notice anything past 50 yards in front of them...easy pickins!