Fall Bear Hunting

scruffee

scruffee

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Saskatchewan
Hey guys, my buddy has this bear coming to his deer spot pretty regularly and isn't planing on hunting bear this year. Fall bear season is around the corner here and Quebec and I wouldn't mind practicing my bow skills on a bear before Moose and Deer season.

How old and how heavy do you guys think this guy is? He doesn't look too big to me, 1 1/2 yo maybe?

Honestly anything older than a cub would do for me as I'd be going with a bow and it would be my first.



Cheers
 
You don't "practice" your bow skills on a live big game animal... you talk like bears are expendable and somehow lesser than deer... they are not, and their populations are more sensitive due to a lower reproduction rate... do us all a favor, practice on targets (preferably 3D animal targets) until you are proficient and then go and properly harvest a bear with a clean, well placed shot.
 
Chill out man, I practice all year round with my bow. I've never hunted bear but I've shot plenty of animals. I'm only asking help to age and estimate the weight of this bear as I don't know much about them. Do us all a favor and don't take everything too seriously...
 
scruffee said:
Chill out man, I practice all year round with my bow. I've never hunted bear but I've shot plenty of animals. I'm only asking help to age and estimate the weight of this bear as I don't know much about them. Do us all a favor and don't take everything too seriously...
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Less than two years old....maybe even an immature sow..
But, what do I know...
Rob
 
medvedqc said:
there is certainly a bigger one around. be patient.
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Noted! Like I said I don't know much about bears which is why I'm asking questions and appreciate your insight!

Personnaly I believe a trophy has nothing to do with the size of an animal, it's all about your personnal acheivement. Not all of us have access to prime hunting territories. I think I'd be lucky to harvest my first bear with a bow as it is definitely harder than with a crossbow or rifle.
 
BTW scrufee some people feel strongly about hunting and killing.
Some people consider the art and skill of Hunting as just plain old killing and nothing more than that.
Myself and the previous poster who may have scolded you feels as I do...
Hunting is not killing...Hunting is much more important that that.
Be aware that a bear big or small can and will run a good distance even with a well placed shot.
Look up for research purposes on the U Toob of guys bear hunting and see what I mean.
Others are going to have a difference of opinion, but i aint about to dicker with semantics.
Best Regards and Look up recipes for cokking bear before you go.
Rob
 
scruffee said:
Noted! Like I said I don't know much about bears which is why I'm asking questions and appreciate your insight!

Personnaly I believe a trophy has nothing to do with the size of an animal, it's all about your personnal acheivement. Not all of us have access to prime hunting territories. I think I'd be lucky to harvest my first bear with a bow as it is definitely harder than with a crossbow or rifle.
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the biggest or a bigger as nothing to do with trophy in that specific case but with management if you take one that never been for reproduction you re cutting genes. and the older sometines needs to be removed for helping the younger to grow.

are you baiting?
 
Can't bait for bear until sept 1st, but he's been going to my buddies deer feed. So far we've only seen this one bear, can't tell if there are any more around, maybe once I start baiting something bigger will come around.

I've heard the same thing about any other type of animal, management is key, I personally pass on smaller deer at my usual spot, but I've been hunting it for years and will continue doing so. It comes down to personnal decision, certain areas are crowded with hunters, which is the case in that spot. I don't know much about sizing a bear and judging its age. I personally would be happy with a smaller bear, like I said hunting with a bow is a challenge and I'd be happy with something this size, now if there is something bigger well of course I'd go for it.

This type of game is new to me but I'm far from being new to hunting. I've harvested many deer and moose and have great respect for these animals. I'm trying to get into this hunt with the opportunity I have at my buddies spot, if I do enjoy it as much as I do other games well for sure I'll try finding a spot and impose the same phylosophy as I have with deer and moose and better manage the area. I'm trying to get into this type of hunt, I don't think harvesting something you would pass makes me a bad hunter/archer... I know people who are contempt with spikes, small does or even moose calves. Would I do it, no, but I respect their decision as long as they do it respectfully and eat what they shoot.
 
It will be interesting to see what you can attract with bait. There could be more bears around. Bear meat is excellent if dressed and prepared properly.
 
scruffee,

i dont know your spot and i dont like that much the baiting thing but that is me. anyway if around your spot there is real apple trees i can guarantee you that bear will be around and the smallest will flee when the bigger will show up.
 
scruffee said:
Chill out man, I practice all year round with my bow. I've never hunted bear but I've shot plenty of animals. I'm only asking help to age and estimate the weight of this bear as I don't know much about them. Do us all a favor and don't take everything too seriously...
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Just to help you understand how it could be misinterpreted, I felt exactly the same as hoyt when I read this in your first post.

scruffee said:
.....and I wouldn't mind practicing my bow skills on a bear before Moose and Deer season......
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Now, go and get that bear: delicious roasts, chops, burger, and some of the best shortening you will ever find for baking breads and pastries!

Best,
Ted
 
That bear isn't that old. The legs and ears relative to the body size and shape are factors to look at. If the ears look big then the head is small. If the ears are on top of the head its younger if the ears are off to the sides with a wider gap between them its older If the legs are long and thin its not a heavy bear. I'm sure there's a few good articles with photos on the net somewhere to compare the differences. It can be challenging. A shot a 300 lb bear thinking I was shooting a yearling. It didn't look that big even when I cut the tag. However trying to drag it I realized it was bigger than I thought
Bears are hard to track. They are soft footed and the fat seals the holes you put in them and the hide soaks up what blood does leak out. They run fast and hard when hit even with rifles. Not always the case but expect it
Wait for a broadside shot and go for both lungs. The shoulders and legs are solid. The heart is low and kinda forward in a bear
If you do stick one wait and listen. Give him longer then you would for a whitetail. Blood finds its way to the bottom of leaves when they run thru bush as it wipes the blood off their hide

They are smart and usually always circle a bait before coming in. Younger bears may risk it and just walk right in. They can see and their hearing is amazing. Their sense of smell is unrivaled
Best of luck and happy hunting
 
Black bear meat is some of the tastiest wild meat out there.... a smaller bear like the one in the picture is what I hold out for when hunting blacks for the table. Enjoy :)
 
Probably posted above but after you watch a bunch of bears you start to know what to look for. Immature bears have the lanky all legs look that the bear in your picture has. Make a triangle out of their head when you look at one. If it's a narrow pointy one towards their nose, it's an immature, if it's wide and fat and the body has that rolly polly look to it, it's a mature bear. I'd be patient and find a bigger one. Especially by fall, a good shooter should be jiggling when it walks. Good luck!
 
scruffee said:
Chill out man, I practice all year round with my bow. I've never hunted bear but I've shot plenty of animals. I'm only asking help to age and estimate the weight of this bear as I don't know much about them. Do us all a favor and don't take everything too seriously...
Click to expand...

All I have to go on are the words you choose to use to convey information and the tone of your verbiage...

Your original post made it sound like you were a novice bowhunter and not terribly confident in your own skill... this is NOT a good mindset to enter the port of "big game bowhunting" with...

I don't need to chill out, we all (hunters in general) need to ensure that, as a group, we maintain not just legal practices but ethical practices...

Your subsequent post, also suggests an insecurity about the legitimacy of archery equipment (at least in relation to harvesting bears of larger size)...

To provide support not only for you but anyone reading this thread, archery equipment is lethal when used properly and within its limits, and can be used to cleanly harvest ANY game animal of ANY size on ANY continent.

My personal experience is forty years of bowhunting for big game species... including black bears... having harvested close to 50 bears with archery equipment over the years, ranging from 125 pound yearling "meat" bears to 550 pound Boone and Crockett boars... the arrow was as quickly lethal on the largest as it was on the smallest...

Enter the bear hunting game with complete confidence in your equipment... develop confidence in your archery skills on the range, and bolster your confidence by taking shots on game that are well within the limits of your abilities... don't push the envelope and take shots that are marginal for "you..."

Good luck on your bear hunt... I will echo what others have said, bear meat is among my favorite game meat.
 
I'd bet the bear is 3 years old, they stay with the mother 1 1/2 to 2 years. It's just swell to hunt if legal, it will just be a very small bear and likely not a bad way to decide if you like bear meat. Bear weights are for me at least extremely hard to judge from photos, a 6'3 bear I shot last year was weighed whole and he was only 293lbs. He had rotten teeth and was in his last season likely, tall and slim, from a photo I would have guessed him more. You bear there is likely 100lbs in spring maybe 150 by fall.
 
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