BC Spring bear - Any tips for a first-timer?

Suther

Suther

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So I want to try my hand at hunting for a spring bear in the coming weeks here.

This is my first year hunting (well, I guess it will be my 2nd when I renew licence in a few days?) but I haven't actually bagged anything yet.

I was hoping some knowledgeable people might be able to provide me with some tips to make my hunt more enjoyable and ultimately successful (because my two trips for deer back in the fall were busts)

I was planning to head to Pemberton, then pick a direction out of town (likely towards Lillooet) and head up an FSR.

My gun options are either a Savage Axis in 270, with a basic 3-9x scope, or a Lee Enfield sporter in 303 with iron sights.
 
I did my first bear hunt last April in Hope. 2 days, saw zero!
The .303 should be fine. I posted a thread about hunting spring bear and was told not to use a SKS so I borrowed a Parker Hale 30-06. Fun walk, saw and heard signs but got nothing!
Really enjoyed strolling the woods amd listening to silence!
 
Suther,

The first big game animal I got was a big black bear. More than four decades ago, and I was shooting a Husqvarna Husky 5000 in 270 Winchester. The load was the old 130 gr Winchester Silvertip ahead of 62 gr of surplus H4831. The bear dropped instantly, got up, ran a few yards and piled up.

The 270 has taken a lot of black bears since, and never required a second shot that I can remember. Either one of your rifles will be adequate.

Be safe, and enjoy your hunt!
Ted
 
Still alive said:
I did my first bear hunt last April in Hope. 2 days, saw zero!
The .303 should be fine. I posted a thread about hunting spring bear and was told not to use a SKS so I borrowed a Parker Hale 30-06. Fun walk, saw and heard signs but got nothing!
Really enjoyed strolling the woods amd listening to silence!
Click to expand...

That would be my hunting for deer last year. A few days outside of Hope, but no results... Thats why I am heading towards Pemberton this time. Still not a super-long ways away, but more remote than Hope (I hope... lol)
 
Target areas that were recently logged in the last few years. The new growth (grasses, roots and fire weed, clover etc) are their main food sources when they first emerge. Also if you can locate south facing slide areas. (These slide areas will melt off first and green up sooner.) These generally have the greenery the bears are looking for in the spring. You can sometimes observe multiple bears on them so be careful. Grizzlies will be there also. But if you find the greenery you can find the bears. The .270 will be fine for black bears. If your particular rifle will shoot the 150gr bullets accurately I recommend shooting the heavier bullets if you can.
 
Suther, welcome to the chase.... I can empathize with trying to hunt around the lower mainland. I tried both Hope and Pemberton quite a bit back in the day when we came out of the interior to push in the LRT lines and make some real money. I liked Pemberton for the views and watching the heli logging but not a whole lot of success and Hope pphhhht..... I can't imagine it got any better since thirty years ago...

If you can swing it, try to get to the Nakusp, New Denver region and get up in the slides - good smoked hams too off the slides away from all things human. If not maybe try up on the Penask Summit, I've seen my share of blackies up there, nothing bruiser big but enough of them....

Best of Luck,
D.K.
 
Take the .270

A padded seat cushion

A good bino or spotting scope

Find a vantage point and start scanning patiently...

Bears move slow, they are actually easy to miss if your in a hurry

Follow the food source, I've spotted as many bears standing on a rock slide flipping boulders over looking for ants and grubs as I have in cut blocks rooting for the same...
 
BrotherRockeye said:
bear spray is not used the same way as mosquito spray! :)
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Im going bear hunting. I'll have a gun. Im not trusting my hide to a little can of spray. I've been sprayed by some punks on the way to a party a few years ago, and I remember how raging mad I was - I can't imagine its a very effective tool for an angry/aggressive bear. Better than a stick maybe....


As for heading to Nakusp or elsewhere, I dont really have the time. Between school, work, and moving, I'll be lucky to get out for a night or two at a time. This is why I am heading towards Pemberton - I can be from home to hunting in 3 hours. This allows me to either head out for one loooooooooong day, or a single night quite easily.
 
pemberton area is a good choice. nice bears, reasonably good chance at bagging one and it's not salmon season so they won't be fishy LOL
I'd hunt along the flats along the east side of the river, should be some bear food sprouting up along there...... then maybe head up the hurley and look for south facing greened up areas

good luck and keep us posted
 
Suther said:
That would be my hunting for deer last year. A few days outside of Hope, but no results... Thats why I am heading towards Pemberton this time. Still not a super-long ways away, but more remote than Hope (I hope... lol)
Click to expand...

Hey Suther,
The guys I go with all suggest Princeton this year for bear OR Van Island. Apparently the odds are good on the Island.
I'm going with 7mm mag this year!!
 
Princeton would be a good one too.
I'm heading out tomorrow to scout behind my place up here in region 5
words is the bears are up , not much of a winter here
 
Ardent said:
My biggest advice would be go North. You will spend days on the SW corner of the province to see as many bears as you will in the first 30 mins of the day up north. I would make the drive up province and you absolutely will not strike out.
Click to expand...

How far north we talkin'?
 
Suther said:
How far north we talkin'?
Click to expand...

I do know we have plenty of black bear around my immediate vicinity (canim) in region 5.
I'll be hunting locally behind and around my place, excellent bear country, 5 hours north of Vancouver.
can steer you into some "very" good country if you want to come up this way.
 
Come over to the island, there are plenty of bears around here, and many of nice size. If you do decide to take a trip over to the island PM me and I share some of my locations that have been successful for me every year.
 
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