Ontario...first time hunting blackbear

yomomma

yomomma

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
103   0   1
Location
Ontario - Hamilton area
So. Bought some property last fall. Apparently the area has a very healthy bear population.

Just wondering if there are any good how to videos?

Not enough time to set up barrels, but will probably do a few honey burns.

Might do a lot of walk and stalk.

Any info is welcomed.
 
I can send you a tutorial that I wrote up for CGN and saved on file... if interested, PM an email address and I will get it sent.
 
get out in the next few weekends and setup a stand or watch and begin to scout, cut away shooting lanes and leave some starter bait i like to start with minerals to help shake off the dust of hibernation then into protein based bait from there on in. if you do want to stalk get up high out of the wind on the ridges as they have great sense of smell but piss poor vision and watch a swamp black bears always have wet feet.Good Luck ! look for scat as the size and frequency of placement will let you know if there really are a lot around
 
baiting and shooting from a stand or shack is the preferred way.

let me know if you got any extra bears to spare.
 
Getting off the ground is preferable but stalking is fun and rewarding. Recon the area and located well traveled paths, then start positioning yourself near those.

Most bears I shot were between 10-2pm or 4pm to dusk. If you are baiting, older bears will show up as it gets darker or at night. Depending where you are hunting, carry some type of GPS system and/or marking tape, especially if you are near a marsh/water area.

They will do crazy stuff after getting shot and they are stupid QUICK. Bear death growl is very specific and you will know when you hear it.

Have fun and keep us posted!
 
Last edited:
Odds of success with a burn/attractant only or a stalk are very low.

Baiting will increase chances of success by an order of magnitude and teach you more about bear behaviour than the other two.

Make the time to bait.

Use a lasting, powerful scent like fyer grease to bring them in, and give them barrels of popcorn to keep them fed. Popcorn is very manageable and cheap and easy to produce in large volumes.

I spent years bear hunting in Ontario. Cut every corner. Tried every gimmick. Just do the work and wait for them and they will come.
 
gps2 said:
I spent years bear hunting in Ontario. Cut every corner. Tried every gimmick. Just do the work and wait for them and they will come.
Click to expand...

Assuming that "doing the work" includes proper scouting, positioning and set-up, I agree...
 
Last edited:
yomomma said:
So ive read up on identifying male/female...

Whats the best/ most accurate way short of feeling up their genitals?
Click to expand...

Cubs are the most obvious indicator of a sow, and they will usually come in first.

Lesser, solo bears will usually behave that way: tentative, cautious, sometimes meek.
Dominant bears usually look like a brute, confident, usually a boar.

Judging size is almost always tough. Use this rule of thumb: if you’re not sure it’s big, it probably isn’t. If it’s big, you won’t question it.
 
hoytcanon said:
Assuming that "doing the work" includes proper scouting, positioning and set-up, I agree...
Click to expand...

You bet.

- find a spot that’s cool with a lot of cover, where bears will likely come in during daylight. Make corridors that will make it easy for them to approach in daylight without being too exposed.
- position your stand so that you can slip in/out without disturbing bait. Remember, some bears may be bedded nearby when you arrive. They have a food source, and may not want to leave it.
- position stand so that it’s less likely a bear will circle behind you / downwind.
- do as much limbing and clearing of shooting lanes as you can and pay attention to detail. Use a spotter to be picky about making your set perfect. Take the time to be really diligent about it.
- bait once and don’t return until you hunt. I don’t care what people say about “ringing the dinner bell.” You’ll just push bears into nocturnal behaviour. Focus on being discreet. I had better success than trying to fool them into thinking I was there to feed them.
- leave as much bait as you can possibly haul in. Work hard at this, it will pay off. Don’t be afraid to leave 6, 7, 8 full barrels. Just like retail merchandising: stack em high and watch em fly. Make your food source absolutely irresistable. Arriving for a hunt and seeing empty barrels is a very depressing experience. And your bears will be gone.
- sitting long hours never hurts, because sometimes you get lucky. But the last 5 minutes of light are truly the best time. This is where excellent optics can really make a difference. Remember, last light and last legal light do not always line up.
 
Anyone ever just tie up a goat and sit a distance away from the goat and wait? If you dont get a bear you can at least eat the goat or use it to trim the grass around your cabin.
 
gps2 said:
...bait once and don’t return until you hunt. I don’t care what people say about “ringing the dinner bell.” You’ll just push bears into nocturnal behaviour. Focus on being discreet. I had better success than trying to fool them into thinking I was there to feed them.
- leave as much bait as you can possibly haul in. Work hard at this, it will pay off. Don’t be afraid to leave 6, 7, 8 full barrels. Just like retail merchandising: stack em high and watch em fly. Make your food source absolutely irresistable. Arriving for a hunt and seeing empty barrels is a very depressing experience. And your bears will be gone.
- sitting long hours never hurts, because sometimes you get lucky. But the last 5 minutes of light are truly the best time. This is where excellent optics can really make a difference. Remember, last light and last legal light do not always line up.
Click to expand...

If that works for you that's great...

We use a different baiting methodology... you have created a system that almost guarantees nocturnal behaviour... making it very difficult to take a really good bear.

Creating competition on a bait and using regularly applied "fresh" bait in a quantity that will feed multiple bears but not so much that they can just wait for dark to feed without risking losing bait to the young and foolish bears, encourages the big boys to come out during shooting light. Fresh, non-rancid bait is better than rotten or sloppy goo left for weeks... also, regular baiting does not push bears to become nocturnal, unless you are unpredictable and leaving scent in random areas away from the bait and/or moving back into potential bedding areas or travel routes that the bears are using to get to the bait location. Also, baiting regularly allows you to stay on top of bear patterns and preferences and make adjustments, I am mostly speaking to those running multiple bait locations... getting "a" bear is work, getting truly "big" bears consistently requires serious dedication and alot of sweat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom