Black bear without baiting

[JJ-65]

Areas with high bush cranberries hold bears this time of year. A honey burn with some jello packets thrown in is a good option too.

 

[FishHog2]

Success on bears without using bait depends entirely on the terrain and local food sources. In Boreal forest regions, you can go months in good bear country and never see a bear. Early season in blueberry country is your best bet, September choke cherries can be very good, acorns are not a practical (in general) food source for hunting. Agricultural fields, especially oats, offer a good opportunity to get on bears. In the spring, green-up in cuts, clover fields and along waterways with a Southern exposure are good locations. There is also, calling tactics that can work... I have taken a dozen bears or so by spot and stalk, and three by calling, but approximately 70 by baiting. Bait is simply a manufactured food source, and honestly, in thick Boreal woods, your only reasonable option. Do not think that baiting is like "shooting fish in a barrel," not true, particulalry if you are focusing on mature boars... they are extremly wary creatures, as evidenced by harvest statistics. Do not equate taking a deer without bait, to taking a bear without bait... they are completely different animals and operate in completely different ways... plus the game densities are not even close to the same.

Well said, saved me a lot of typing.
Calling is about the only viable option other than baiting in the Boreal forest. I would love to spot and stalk bears, but I need to travel out of Northern Ontario to do so.

 

[hoytcanon]

Well said, saved me a lot of typing.
Calling is about the only viable option other than baiting in the Boreal forest. I would love to spot and stalk bears, but I need to travel out of Northern Ontario to do so.

Exactly... most of my stalked bears were in cuts during blueberry season... but stalking opportunities in the Canadian Shield Boreal region is extremely limited... there are specific localized opportunities, but they are not common. Western hunters, living in agricultural or mountainous areas frown on baiting, with no understanding of what we are dealing with here.

 

[hoytcanon]

I guess I would be more comfortable calling in a bear when I can see it lol!! Coming out behind me at 10feet would possibly cause a change of pants ….

How about getting bowled over? Well that is a bit of an exaggeration... but it did knock me sideways as it ran past... yup... exciting.

 

[pathfinder76]

I’ve personally killed over 30 bears spot and stalk. It can be done, and it can be done in small tight quarters. Water and a good food source is a great place to start.

 

[DGY]

Exactly... most of my stalked bears were in cuts during blueberry season... but stalking opportunities in the Canadian Shield Boreal region is extremely limited... there are specific localized opportunities, but they are not common. Western hunters, living in agricultural or mountainous areas frown on baiting, with no understanding of what we are dealing with here.

I don’t know for others westerners, but I certainly do not frown on hunting over bait, but it is not legal up here… but you are allowed to hunt over a carcass, so if you shoot a moose or find a kill you are allowed to hunt over it, but not if you are moving it to a different location. So in a sense it is hunting over bait, but maybe it is natural bait?

 

[Grouseman2]

predator calls ... rabbit ... I'm a fudd so "wabbit"

 

[Denver Steve]

Just go hunting in a area where they are way overpopulated. I could have shot half a dozen this year, just walking around. Some of my family's land have 8 bears per quarter on them. They are absolutely ruining people's crops as well there are so many.
Can't even walk down a field edge, or any trail in places without running into a few. The little guys sure shoot up a tree quick when you get a dozen yards or so from them.
There are two small ones in the first photo, and a bit larger one, higher up the same tree. Triplets. Momma bear stayed down by the river.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

If I was looking for a bear right now, in Northern Alberta, I'd be checking out oat fields, bear candy.

 

[crazy_davey]

If I was looking for a bear right now, in Northern Alberta, I'd be checking out oat fields, bear candy.

Oat fields in northern Alberta are a long ways from Ottawa, where the OP is asking about.

 

[hoytcanon]

I’ve personally killed over 30 bears spot and stalk. It can be done, and it can be done in small tight quarters. Water and a good food source is a great place to start.

Sure... out west... come to the boreal region... bring lots of food with you, you'll starve to death stalking bears...
Stalking bears is easy, it is finding the bear to stalk that is the hard part.