Booney I agree with you on the dogs.....if I trained them raised them that might be another story, that's one of my main problems with cougar hunting, I've heard cougar hunting isn't easy, chasing a cat around the mtns, but still the dogs tree them, then you shoot them, I'm sure you'll be sweating,working hard, but something just doesn't agree with me onthat one.

I have taken 2 bears with guns, and I really would like to take a nice one with a bow, and it sounds like over bait is almost the only way to do that.

I'm definitely going for 2nd season over 3rd, but now I'm wondering if waiting for 1st season would be the thing to do, since I want to bowhunt, w/o dogs, birdhunters etc.....

Both of my bears were just under B&C for skull sizes....i think 21" is BC, 1 was like 1/8" shy the other like an inch.
both were spring bears, beautiful hides, one was 350lbs, the other 450lbs, both estimates, but the guide wasn't a rookie so I'm sure he was close, did have a chance at an abs monster, probably BC all the way and 550lbs plus, I was young though, hadn't hunted big game before, and in my mind at the time dangerous game...haha, today that bear would be dead, oh well still got 2 nice ones.

It seems most bear guys talk about is weight.....when the skull is what measures.....and I think some regions have big skulls and maybe not bodyweight, or that may just be due to age and food in a given area.... a PnY with the bow would be nice though, I won't take a tiny bear, and I've found most guys will shoot the 1st bear that comes to bait, so hopefully with a few things going right I'll be able to take a nice one with a bow.

I can draw 3rd season this year I think, though I'm looking forward to next year or the year after for 2nd season, though now I'm considering 1st season, which may be afew more years of applying.