Black Bear Hunting

Gunslingr

Gunslingr

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Ok folks, I have recently found some land to hunt on and am planning on taking my Thanksgiving weekend time off to do a little camping and scouting of the area for deer. However deer season there doesn't open till november but black bear is open now. So I was thinking about picking up a tag so that when im scouting if i come upon a bear I could take it. I've been thinking about a Black Bear hunt for a while and its something I'm interested in so pending my scouting finds I may set up a bait station in the area. So my question is; does anyone use (with success) the spot and stalk method for hunting black bears? I've heard a lot about baiting but not much about stalking so I am wondering if its even worth it to buy a tag or if i should just look for grouse and bunnies while I'm scouting.

What do you all think?

GS
 
^^ the country is pretty rough where I am, I mean most of the country in ontario is thick bush but there are some trails in the area to cut through it well enough. I'm really just trying to gauge whether I should buy a tag now or later. I know the area is suppose to have enough bears around so i feel that eventually i would buy one but im wondering if oughta get one now or wait til i do some scouting.
 
Better start baiting for them now and maybe put up a trail cam, find a spot that has water fairly close to it. If there is any indication that a bear is present, try a honey burn in the same spot and watch over it.
 
I would get one now. Forget baiting, it's too late. You're scouting anyhow. Just carry your rifle with you and move quietly and shoot a bear. Just keep in mind that after you shoot him, you have to get him out of the bush.
 
It will be a Crapshoot for bears after at this time and propbably not worth buying a tag for.

Last year they stopped showing up at the bait station around ThanksGiving weekend . With any luck you may see one in an open area while scouting/grouse hunting . After June I usually dont' spot many bears at all aside from bait sites and the odd one running around the neighbour hood and through my property.
 
get a tag. The second you head out with out one a berry fattened beauty will stroll out in front of you.

Don't know nothing about bear hunting really or hunting in ontario but I do know that a warm sundrenched slope after a frosty night makes a bear happy. Look for the first place to warm up in the morning.
 
Get the tag. Still hunt/scout as slowly as you possibly can. It is by no means unusual to stumble into a bear this way in Ontario. If you'll be deer hunting too, that's an opportunity to bump into a bear too. If there are any open berry areas or clear cuts, glassing them any time of day, but especially evening can't hurt.

So the chances are something low, say 1:50 of getting a bear this way in Ontario? To me the cost of the tag is nothing compared to the happiness of getting a bear. btw, I carry a bear tag when deer hunting in thick country in Ontario, and will when home (can't wait!) this year.

RG

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Here in b.c. we arent allowed to bait! stalk or stumble on them is what yeh do! The other day while I was out I seen two, they arent to hard to find just driving in the truck on the logging roads but their will be a day or two where you wont see em. Infact my friend got one that day, while skinning it with him and butchering it up I could ceritnaly see the difference in the fat storage from fall compared to spring bear, good thick lining of it!
 
Meat may work for a fast bait, something like beavers work well. Stalking in the woods here is a waist of time, they will be gone long before you see them. Still hunting food sorces is the best. Acorn's are heavy this year , finding a stand of them with sign of bear could work...
 
ben hunchak said:
Pathfinder: How did you make out on your Bear Hunting??
Click to expand...

I only ended up spending 1 full day in the field to hunt....just didnt' have the time this year. Travel plans got in the way....there's always next year.

The worst part is when I got home the next day after hunting and a Bear ran across my front yard......
 
I always bait em and still don't have mine for this year. But I have been not out trying much either.
But I have a friend that only spots and stalks em - in Ontario. Since season opener Aug15th this year he's killed three himself party hunting with a friend and his son - in Ontario. He has his system and it's no fluke as he's been getting them for years like this. But as commented above open areas are a prerequisite - which discounts much of their Ontario range.
 
If you start baiting by June next year you should have them coming regularly by season opener. My buddy has three bear management units that have 32 bait stations. The first few weeks he had just bait hunters in and they all saw lots of bears. Now he's just running hounds from the bait, so he's only rebaiting about a dozen locations. Approx. 80% of the baits are getting hit every night despite an extra heavy acorn crop this year.
 
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