Thanks for letting know the information. Appreciated. By the way. Do you know anyone got black bears in April in Alberta? The biggest concern for me to hunt in Alberta or Sask is the weather. Not sure whether bears walk up or not. Because in Ontario it is very rare to see black bears before May
baiting or stalking
- Thread starter cz1997
- Start date
Thanks for letting know the information. Appreciated. By the way. Do you know anyone got black bears in April in Alberta? The biggest concern for me to hunt in Alberta or Sask is the weather. Not sure whether bears walk up or not. Because in Ontario it is very rare to see black bears before May
I have never hunted bears over bait but I have wolves on a gut pile (bait) for years. Like guarding it can be boring but you are out in the bush so enjoy it. I did come to the conclusion that I was not hunting it was just shooting at known distance at a stationary target.
New black bear hunter than I'd choose baiting over spot and stalk. Just sit back and enjoy then feel the rush and adrenaline start pumping when they start coming in to the bait station. It's also fun watching them eating and playing especially them cubs.
I'd confirm with the guides you're considering because it does vary some by region but the dates you plan on being able to hunt are usually when the bears are just starting to travel and feed again so it may be a little slow and weather could be cold and wet. Have you contacted any guides in NB? Because more than a few only book May to June.
I'm not saying you won't have any opportunities or fun that early in our bear season, I just know how miserable the weather can be during April. I hope you can find the hunt you want and aren't disappointed.
I'm not saying you won't have any opportunities or fun that early in our bear season, I just know how miserable the weather can be during April. I hope you can find the hunt you want and aren't disappointed.
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Thanks for letting me know that Jim, I checked bookyourhunt.com yesterday and found two guides can offer semi-guided high stand black bear hunt after April 16th.I am trying to contact them to confirm the dates. I checked the weather in April in the last few years. It is also my biggest concern if I choose NB it will be too cold that I cannot see a bear
Spot and stalk bear hunting is about the easiest hunting there is if you can walk at all.
Take your time in making the stalk. There is really no reason to hurry. Even if it is several miles, you can enjoy the experience.
Stay downwind and out of sight. The bear will not even be aware you are around. Your confidence will build as you get closer.
Don't take any shortcuts. They are the cause of more ruined stalks than anything else.
Relax while you are getting set up for the shot. You took time getting here, take an extra two or three minutes now.
And, remember to squeeeeze the trigger.
I have shot a lot of bears, both kinds, and never once been out of breath when the trigger broke. Excited, yes, but never huffing and puffing.
Ted
Take your time in making the stalk. There is really no reason to hurry. Even if it is several miles, you can enjoy the experience.
Stay downwind and out of sight. The bear will not even be aware you are around. Your confidence will build as you get closer.
Don't take any shortcuts. They are the cause of more ruined stalks than anything else.
Relax while you are getting set up for the shot. You took time getting here, take an extra two or three minutes now.
And, remember to squeeeeze the trigger.
I have shot a lot of bears, both kinds, and never once been out of breath when the trigger broke. Excited, yes, but never huffing and puffing.
Ted
If you can get a fall hunt, then spotting/stalking is great, as you can hunt the blueberry patches, choke/pincherry and mountain ash bushes. In the spring, you can often see them along power lines digging up shoots and bugs, but yeah, baiting is your best bet. As far as mid-April goes, they'll probably still be under 6 feet of ^%#$&&#^*@&$*&!! snow. Apparently, the MNR is sending out advisories that all ice huts have to be off the Ottawa River by June 30th this year. (joke)
Spot and stalk on vancouver island, there are a lot of bears on the island.
There may not be as many in late april as mid may, but you will see bears.
Weather should be half decent.
Walking logging roads glassing cuts will work just fine.
There may not be as many in late april as mid may, but you will see bears.
Weather should be half decent.
Walking logging roads glassing cuts will work just fine.
IronNoggin
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Port Alberni, Vancouver Island
They look big because they were! LOL!
Odd thing about that. Both bears were taken on the same day albeit a year apart.
That would be November 2nd, so not really applicable for you.
That said, we see more than a few Big Boys during our spring wanderings, and I know of many that have been taken here in early May.
Might be a tad early in April, all depends what our weather does...
Cheers & Best of Luck!
Nog
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I’m an outfitter here in BC, baiting is illegal in BC, inland the usual method locals use is ATV or road hunting them, or the adventurous sit on a stump hunt cut blocks, this is no more fair chase than baiting just different. No slagging any legal method there just fair observation. On the coast here we paddle estuaries and spot and stalk them on the tide flats and slides which is considerably more work and requires more patience. In this case frankly we’re using natural “bait” in the tide flat and slide vegetation. There’s a chance of meeting black bears on the salmon in the fall, also natural “bait”, but those rivers are usually 99% grizzly owned.
My personal preference, hunting for myself is the hunt with the least development around, and the least advance prep, I like floating down back channels of coastal rivers and seeing what you bump on the way down. I hunt for the experience the freezer is a side benefit, as I pay way more per pound to fill it with game than Alberta prime beef when you work it out. So the hunt is the reason for me to put myself out there and do things and go places I wouldn’t otherwise. Tree standing and road hunting doesn’t hit those check boxes for me on the adventure side. Full respect for those who go afield in any manner legal, my personal preference is for hunting to lead me to adventure and everyone has a different definition of that for their own purposes.
My personal preference, hunting for myself is the hunt with the least development around, and the least advance prep, I like floating down back channels of coastal rivers and seeing what you bump on the way down. I hunt for the experience the freezer is a side benefit, as I pay way more per pound to fill it with game than Alberta prime beef when you work it out. So the hunt is the reason for me to put myself out there and do things and go places I wouldn’t otherwise. Tree standing and road hunting doesn’t hit those check boxes for me on the adventure side. Full respect for those who go afield in any manner legal, my personal preference is for hunting to lead me to adventure and everyone has a different definition of that for their own purposes.
Which is better than a day at work...
I have done lots of both, baiting and spot & stalk... they are both effective, but largely dictated by the terrain... it cracks me up when the Western guys thumb their noses at baiting... they have mountains, but we have BUSH... I would love to drop them in the endless spruce bogs, where you can't see 10 yards and say; "Ok, go get your bear." Lol... in many NorOnt areas there are are no cuts or meadows to be able to even see your quarry... of course there are places where you can travel to to find the terrain necessary for spot & stalk on bears... these are the places we concentrate. There are also natural food sources available to still hunt or stand over, blueberries and chokecherries are two of the big draws in this area. When your bear country borders farm land, there are a number of crops that draw bears, oats and corn being two of the preferred menu items... good luck finding a bear in a standing corn field, you have about 10 seconds to catch them going in or coming out. In the spring south slope greenery is a big draw, the lusher the better.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
^^ walking along in the spruce bog, then you notice the water around your boots getting deeper, then the trees begin to move as you walk, Hmm, how the hell do I get out? Or the Black spruce nightmare where it's so thick the trees are mere inches apart. Wanderings of an old bush hunter.
The cover is too thick in the east? You've never been to the west coast and seen the rain forests that we hunt bear in have you?
When I went to Ontario, two things caught my attention. One, it's so flat, and two the trees are so skinny...
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I have no issues with baiting, I wish it was legal in bc for bear hunting. It’s always nice to have more options, I have one spot I will bait for deer in the fall to keep interest up and have had bear show up this last year while I was sitting. Had to pass on it, otherwise I’d have bear meat in the freezer lol. I like to still hunt, spot and stalk or bait over apples and alfalfa, or roll around on the quad or truck. It all has it time and place depending on the terrain, it’s all fun regardless of how successful the day is.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
There’s thick bush everywhere in Canada. Admittedly mountains render thick bush more of a pain. 1 in 4 of Canada’s black bears live in BC, as long as you get away from the Grizzly territories it’s one of the easiest hunts a guy can do in spring if the aim is simply to tag and bag. As for BC ATV or road bear hunters denegrating baiting, I hear it often... the guys turning their noses up at the other guy working his tail off to run a stand and bait station further east strikes me as pretty uninformed and sheltered. I tried the baiting for an outfitter in another province years ago and it’s anything but the lazy way to hunt, and is very selective. Any legal method in its jurisdiction deserves respect.
