Spring Bear Hunting Question

GillieSuit · #1 02-10-2010, 12:11 PM

Howdy Folks, I am a Bow Hunter. Pure and simple, I can rifle hunt, but I have chosen to bow hunt. So, I am finally committing to a spring bear hunt this year. I don't want to hunt over bait.......just my personal preference.

Anyway I am going to attempt the spot and stalk strategy. So my question is, what are some good strategies to employ for locating bear movement areas or bear feeding areas? I know they like new cutblocks, well pads, roadside ditches, avalanche chutes, and pipeline corridors. However, I don't really know why one area might be better than another. Not lookin for the biggest bear in the woods, just lookin to get in the game and try for any bear that might be in a position to offer up a shot.

Any hints or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ryry4 · #2 02-10-2010, 01:35 PM

You'll want to look for the greenest areas. Bears like clover and dandielions so if you can find a cut line/block or well site that is full of nice green grass, clover and the like you'll usually see bears in the area.

fallen1817 · #3 02-10-2010, 03:53 PM

Not to Highjack thread, But PM if you're lookin for a Huntin' Partner. I'm also looking to get into the bear game, and am also a bowhunter.

-Jeff

Grizzly Adams · #4 02-10-2010, 04:22 PM

Don't know where you're at, but I'd make the effort of going north, where there is an abundant bear population. No point in going too early either. Wait till things start to green up and watch the earliest patches. Got my last one at about 20 yards, when I was coming around a corner, on a cut line.

Not with a bow, though.
Grizz

mad mountain mike · #5 02-10-2010, 04:29 PM

I agree with Grizzly Adams, go north and don't go to early. We see the most bears in the last week of May.

shooter55 · #6 02-10-2010, 04:36 PM

always wanted to do the stalk on bears...have bowhunted over baits and that can be very exciting as well....good luck!

noneck180 · #7 02-10-2010, 05:15 PM

We never started hunting till May Long weekend

GillieSuit · #8 02-10-2010, 08:57 PM

Home base is Calgary, but I have a few options.

I have access to private land along strawberry creek south of Kinuseo (zero hunting pressure). Neighbour has an oat crop and oat bins. Have seen lots of bears in this area in the fall, but nothing greens up quickly in this area and it can be wicked mucky and swampy in the spring.

The other option is a few areas closer to home. Drier ground, but increased hunting pressure.

I am thinking of persuing the northern option, but I am not sure that I will be able to catch these bears in the open. If I can find a travel route on the way to that oat bin or the oat field is it worth watching that for a while????

Anyway more options, opinions and ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ryry4 · #9 02-12-2010, 01:15 PM

If you go up north and are hunting on crown land, I'd suggest driving around until you find a oil lease or cut line that is greened up nice. If there is bear sign there more than likely they'll come back to the same spot so you could try and wait them out and when they show up try a stalk on them. I've done that rifle hunting for them.

Okotokian · #10 02-12-2010, 01:36 PM

Now there's some hunting to really respect... After multiple days of trying to get within 200 yards of a deer with my rifle I can really respect the skill and patience it takes to bowhunt, especially with a predator like that that could kill you, without bait, using only your tracking skills. Even an anti would say "Yeah, that seems like a pretty fair fight."

BrownBear416 · #11 02-12-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GillieSuit

Howdy Folks, I am a Bow Hunter. Pure and simple, I can rifle hunt, but I have chosen to bow hunt. So, I am finally committing to a spring bear hunt this year. I don't want to hunt over bait.......just my personal preference.

Anyway I am going to attempt the spot and stalk strategy. So my question is, what are some good strategies to employ for locating bear movement areas or bear feeding areas? I know they like new cutblocks, well pads, roadside ditches, avalanche chutes, and pipeline corridors. However, I don't really know why one area might be better than another. Not lookin for the biggest bear in the woods, just lookin to get in the game and try for any bear that might be in a position to offer up a shot.

Any hints or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Thousands of lease roads and cutblocks around Slave,kinuso and Swan Hills and most of them hold bears in the Spring.If you come before May you will be wasting your time and even the first week can be slow.Best bear hunting is always around the 2nd week of May to the end of May depending on the weather.This year we had a week of snow in May and the good bear hunting was later then ever.We killed good boars right into April that hadnt even lost there under wool yet.The best method is drive the lease roads and try to spot bears feeding in the ditches,cutblocks,pipelines and quad trails.A quad is also good as you can get back in off the roads and access beaverponds as bears concentrate around these in the spring for the fresh grasses and beavers once they get there insides scrubbed out.You can see bear all day but the last hour in the evening is the magic hour when the bears appear.You usually have to look through a ton of 2 1/2 year old bears before you find a decent sized boar but you should not have any trouble finding bears to put stalks on.Here are a few pics from last spring.Send me a PM if you come up this way and I can point you in the right dirrection..

My Archery Spot and Stalk P&Y Spring Bear..