Black Bear Hunting High Mountians in the Spring
 

With all this talk/posts about black bear hunting I think I am excited to try a spring black bear hunt this year. I have purchased a license to have while fall elk hunting but never concentrated on bear hunting itself.

Some of my questions are what and where to look for them. I want to hunt them spot and stalk. It is legal to bait in Wyoming but I do not want to go that route. I like hiking all over the mountains anyway.

This area generally gets a ton of snow over the winter. Our season is May 1st through June 15th. The elevation ranges from 8200 feet to 11000 feet in elevation where I can hunt them. From what I have read from others is the bears go higher in the summer, but do they find thier dens up high and when they come out in the spring move to lower elevations or do the den up in lower elevations? Should I start up high looking for them or lower in elevation?

What are good areas to look for them. Most of this area is dense forest but there are hill sides with openings and Aspen stands. Some rock slides up higher where I have found wild raspberries in.

I have also heard that early morning and late evening are the better if not only times to locate them. Where do they go during the day??? If that is true I will probably take the whole family on a early season camping trip and just have fun during the day. We all enjoy camping and we normally don't start until late June. This would give us another chance to go have some fun in the mountains.

Any help would be greatly appeciated.

Justin

they love the green slopes when they emerge in spring. Look for south facing green grass areas and walk in slow with a good set of binos. Rumour is the big boys comoe out earlier. Sometimes the brown ones don't stand out as much as the black ones so look carefully around large rocks as they like to sunbathe on shiny days. Good luck...I threw a few pics of some various coats under the thread titled "new guy" last night

Are you going to the Big Horns?

I can either go there or down were I elk hunt in the Southern part of the state in the Sierra Madres. The Bighorns are closer though.

Follow the snow line as it melts. Spend some time hiking, much more glassing.

I would also concentrate on the south and southwest facing slopes. Those area's tend to free up from snow first, which also means they green up faster then others. Good luck!!

Thanks for the tips guys, I am looking forward at giving this a try.

This is some very good advice! Bears graze on grass when they first emerge out of there dens. Find the lushest green grass, its is easy on there stomach, on a warm sunny slope and do alot of glassing. Bears have poor eyesight but a great since of smell, so try to use the wind in your favor.
Good Luck, and Good Hunting!