westMDbowhunter

I plan on buying a nonresident bear license in West Virginia next season, I plan on bowhunting exclusively to avoid crowds. I'm no stranger to bear as we have plenty in west md. However I've never had the opprotunity to hunt them because we are on a lottery permit system and season only goes for a week anyhow. I wanted a real bear archery season and wv is it. Bow season comes in at the end of September and goes most of the season
I headed over to snake hill wma which is across the cheat river canyon from coopers rock. not far from morgantown.
Well I found bear scat from last year so were in the money. and plenty of water holes.
I assume watering holes would be good ambush points? I've heard bears need to water multiple times a day during heavy fall feeding?
Any tips on hunting bear with my bow?
No baiting in wv, and I believe use of scents is illegal?
Has anyone here had luck with predator calls on bears? I have a cottontail distress hand call and an electronic red squirrel decoy. Would they work?
I've had the pleasure of watching many bears while bowhunting deer in maryland, looking forward to harvesting one next season.

Bbj270

Called a bear in with a turkey call in the spring a couple years ago to about 35 -40 yards. Lots of bears around wv now. Ran 4 out of corn field last year when cutting it.

westMDbowhunter

I've heard people killing coyotes while calling turkeys, I love seeing bears. I have the turkey thugs box yelper, the one with a paddle. Ill make sure to keep that with me. so now I have two calls I can use
My cottontail is a stratton made of ash wood I believe.
I'm thinking of using a ground blind with the decoy maybe 40 yards out.

Ridge Runner

have killed a few here in wv and va, killing one with a bow is mostly a matter of luck, hunt whiteoak stands that are in the steep ridges, and not easily accessible. maybe hook up with some dog hunters that's your best bet. bears survive by not allowing themselves to be visable, so they travel either at night or where they won't be seen. lots of people in the woods or dogs running them move them out of cover.
RR

westMDbowhunter

I'm going to be around coopers rock state forest and snake hill wma' they're intersected by the cheat river canyon. Snake hill being the smaller of the two plots coopers rock is rather large. I have scouted out some of snake hill, it's gnarly with boulders everywhere. I was looking over 40 foot drops and I wasn't even close to the canyon.

I've seen plenty of bear while bowhunting in md that I could have legally taken home with me if I were 20 miles west in wv. But it was always by chance because of course being in md I wasn't hunting them but deer. All my sighting were befor 10 am and all I saw were at the top edge of the ridge I hunt. Which is very steep land just like snake hill.

I don't think I have much interest in dogs or rifles for bear, bow gives me a long season and im certain being out there alone will be much more exciting. I'm also certain it will be much less productive hunting lol but I'm closeby so there's always next year. I'm hoping for at least an encounter that first week of season and I would also be happy with any legal bear. Just me the bow and the bear, it's been my dream ever since I saw one. Ill have every weekend for it all season. At least Friday and Saturday. I won't give up til ones in the freezer. My plan as of now is to wail on my rabbit call all morning starting before day break with my predator decoy maybe 40 yards out. I'm going to get a climbing stand for this. Help get my volume out there and keep me out of danger. My original plan was ground blind but with a bears nose and teeth I thought it would be better to get in a tree being alone.

I saw one of your bears in the peep thread what a beast! did you get the yote the same day?

Are scent attractants legal in wv like anise or something like that bear gel you see?

Ridge Runner

yes I'm pretty sure you can use scents, just no visable bait, save the deke, bears have very poor eyesight, any sound will stir they're curiosity. yes the yote was shot the same day.
RR

westMDbowhunter

I found many small pocket fields dotted on the steep ridge, hoping to pull one into the open. The biggest field I'm talking is fifty yards square. So I don't think they will be wary of my setups hopefully a big one will hear me. I have enough openings to play around in. I'd migrate towards the canyon as days progress and try to call as much land as I can.
I don't think ill run out of space it's 3000 acres so I also shouldn't have any trouble getting away from people.

Ridge Runner

your call but from my experience 90% of the bears I have observed during daylight hours that were not spooked were in places that you had to be within 20 yards of them to see them, as I said they survive by not being visable.
RR

Tundra10

Good Luck!

westMDbowhunter

Maybe putting a stand over thick mt laurel and shrubs, if i could find game trails of course, just that thick stuff you gotta fight to get through. Ill probably spend some time not calling every morning too start calling maybe 10 am. Just watch the woods and get a feel for it. Like the four bbj said he ran out of that field there could be four in an acre of thick and high brush. Sounds like a much better game plan to me