statesman

Pipliner: I spent 11 years as an elk and mule deer guide in Colorado and New Mexico in the late 80's through the 90's. I guided on private ranches, and first hand witnessed what out of state hunters and their ATV's did to game concentrations on the neighboring National Forests and BLM land.

The biggest problem that I saw was that hunters pulled into the forest, set up their camp, and scoured the countryside with their ATVs. I used to put my clients on the bordering fencelines, and we pounded big bulls and some really great mule deer as the poured over into the ranches from the public land. For entertainment, between hunts, we would sit and watch the public land hunters push elk, deer, and bear like they were herding cattle. The hunters would drive right past migrating herds of elk moving through the timber to the refuge of private property.

My humble recommendation is NOT to plan your hunting trip around your ATV. ATVs are great for game retrieval, but are horrible if you plan on using them for transportation on public land. Trust me, the game know exactly what the sound of an ATV means, and they will vacate your hunting area pronto. I don't mean to bash ATVs, but people tend to overuse them, or use them for the wrong reason.

If you want a successful bear hunt, find a high density bear area, set up camp, and use a comfortable pair of hunting boots. When you get a bear down, then fire up the ATV and use it for game retrieval. Some of the best trophies in North America exist on public land, but most hunters have gotten away from actually hunting for them, and instead pursue them.

I would recommend that you take a look at spot and stalk bear hunting in the Gila in New Mexico, ie. without 4-wheelers for transportation. If the rain continues this year, it should be a decent area and it might prove to be a reasonably close drive for you, and there is a fair bear population there. Also look at the Carson National Forest, near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico. If you don't mind the drive, the Mount Zirkle Wilderness area, just north and east of Steamboat Springs, Colorado has tons of bears. A lot of that country is horizontal, but it's a dynamite place to spot and stalk.

Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary!